There is little question that Jordan Spieth is the marquee name in the field for the Cognizant Classic this week on the PGA Tour, with the three-time major champion still working his way back towards his best form.
Jordan Spieth has certainly wasted little time when it comes to creating headlines at the start of the 2025 season. He struggled at both the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational, but also finished in the top five at the WM Phoenix Open.
Spieth delighted the fans with his par on 11 on Sunday at TPC Scottsdale after his tee shot had come to rest under a bush. But there has also been some controversy surrounding the 31-year-old.
After such a disappointing 2024 season, Spieth missed out on qualifying for the signature events this year. With that, he has been relying on sponsor exemptions to make the field at both Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines.
What PGA Tour player said about Jordan Spieth not being invited to the Arnold Palmer Invitational
Spieth being invited to the Genesis Invitational was widely criticised. It is obviously unfair if the sponsors are inviting the same players to the signature events, given the points and prize money on offer.
However, it seems that there is a good chance of Spieth not being in the field for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with the American not currently expected to receive an invite.
And it seems that it may not only be the fans who will be disappointed if Spieth does not feature, with Rex Hoggard telling the Golf Channel Podcast that he has already spoken with a player who cannot understand leaving him out.
“If I throw these names at you which I’ve been hearing will get sponsor exemptions into the Arnold Palmer Invitational: Mackenzie Hughes, let’s say, Rafael Campos, Justin Rose – any combination of those players getting in, you could be like, ‘alright, I get it, I’m fine with that’. But I did have a long conversation with another player who pointed out why would you not want Jordan in your field? Of all the players out here on the PGA Tour,” he said.
“This is not charity. That three event swing that we just talked about that he went through coming back from the surgery, there was some ups and some downs. He didn’t play great at Pebble, certainly didn’t play great at Torrey Pines. Played really well at Scottsdale, finished tied for fourth. And so, to your point, you’re right, he’s still very competitive and he’s still working his way back in that direction, and as a needle mover, I don’t think there’s anyone bigger in the game right now other than Tiger Woods other than Jordan Spieth.”
How Jordan Spieth has performed at Bay Hill during his career
Spieth actually has a very impressive record at Bay Hill. He has only made three appearances at the event over the years – but he has still managed to finish in the top five on two of those occasions.
| Year | Jordan Spieth’s finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational |
| 2021 | T4th |
| 2023 | T4th |
| 2024 | T30th |
And if he plays well at the Cognizant Classic this week, then the calls for Spieth to be included in the field for next week will quickly ramp up.
PGA National is not a good fit for Spieth’s game on paper, with danger on so many of the holes. It is also the first time in his professional career that he has played in a tournament at the course.
It is not a star-studded field by any means. But if Spieth was able to contend in the coming days, it would be a real statement about where his game is heading.
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