Those hoping that Jordan Spieth was on his way towards getting back to his best after the WM Phoenix Open were brought back down to earth a little at the Genesis Invitational, with the Texan missing the cut at Torrey Pines.
Jordan Spieth‘s performance at the WM Phoenix Open was a real statement, with the three-time major champion finishing in a tie for fourth at TPC Scottsdale in only his second tournament on the PGA Tour since returning from injury.
Unfortunately, he was unable to build on that display at the Genesis Invitational. Rounds of 76 and 74 meant that Spieth was one of the notable names to miss the cut at Torrey Pines.
And perhaps that missed cut may have been a blessing in disguise.
The concerning comment Jordan Spieth made at the Genesis Invitational
The big concern over Spieth is whether he can ever fully recover from the wrist injury which has plagued him over the last few years. Even after undergoing surgery, there appeared to be no guarantees that his road to recovery would be a simple one.
Spieth jarred his wrist at Pebble Beach, which knocked him off his stride for a number of holes. And it appears that it was a similar story this past week. Spieth admitted fearing that he may need to withdraw at one stage.
And speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast, Rex Hoggard suggested that he was taken aback by the 31-year-old’s comments – noting that a missed cut was potentially exactly what he needed.
“It was probably best to be honest with you that he missed the cut. I think playing out of that rough, that was wet and cold, it probably wasn’t the best conditions for what he is trying to do with his wrist. I was a little shocked when Jordan told me… and you and I have ran across this a couple of times in our careers when he will just drop a bomb on you and you are not anticipating it. This bomb was when I asked him how would you assess this week, his comment to me was ‘if what happened to me on 16 on Thursday in the worst of the weather’. And what happened was that he hit a four iron and he told me he had to save it with his hands, so you are flicking your wrists a little bit, and he’s told me in the past those are the concerning shots and the ones which hurt him. His comment to me was that if that happened again he wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to finish the tournament,” he said.
“That to me I don’t like hearing that. It’s important to point out this was a three week stretch where he was testing everything. He was testing his game and was certainly testing his wrist. He didn’t play particularly well in the first event at Pebble Beach. He played really well at Scottsdale last week and finished tied fourth. I think both of us were optimistic. I think what happened here at Torrey Pines was more of a by product of the conditions. Probably not the best golf course for him in the best of conditions. Probably not the best course for anyone who has a hurt wrist when you are trying to hit out of wet and cold rough. So I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt but there is a level of concern there.”
The point Jordan Spieth still needs to prove after impressive Phoenix Open performance
There was no question that what Spieth did at TPC Scottsdale was so impressive. Spieth stunned the fans with the par he managed to make on 11 on Sunday having been under a bush after his tee shot.
But it was pointed out that Spieth has a superb career record in Phoenix. So it was hard to know how much could be taken by his most recent result. Instead, the challenge for Spieth is putting himself in contention elsewhere.
The WM Phoenix Open provided Spieth’s penultimate top 10 of 2024. So it is going to be intriguing to see where he goes from here over the next few months.
Hopefully, the setbacks are nowhere near as prohibitive this time around.
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