Jordan Spieth did not have his best season in 2024. Without knowing the joys of victory, the 31-year-old golfer was eliminated in the first round of the FedEx Cup playoffs . This was followed by surgery on his left wrist . This injury had appeared a few days before the 2023 PGA Championship , forcing him to withdraw from the AT&T Byron Nelson played in his hometown to better preserve himself for the 2nd Major of the season.
How much did this injury impact you over the course of a year?
It was hard to measure, which is why I didn’t have surgery before. It would come and go, you didn’t know what was causing the pain, and it didn’t hurt during the swing. So it was more a question of how much of my subconscious was making adjustments that weren’t going to help the game. I mainly had surgery because it was affecting my daily life, my wrist would pop out when I was taking my daughter out of the bath or putting on a sweatshirt or whatever, and I couldn’t put it back on. And it wasn’t going to heal itself according to the doctors. I’ll be more confident in what I do on the course, for sure, because I’ll know my wrist is in good shape.
Does missing the Presidents Cup affect you?
I missed it in 2019 in Australia. It was really tough, but I was struggling in my game at the time, so I didn’t feel like I deserved to be there. This year, I obviously wouldn’t have any reason to participate given my current state. It’s a little different, but it still hurts, it’s so hard to be part of these teams. You have to be good year after year to be considered one of the top 12 Americans. Jim Furyk, who I’ve talked to a lot, asked me if I could get involved in different ways but it was incompatible with my therapy.
There is inevitably a little worry about not having the same sensations.
Do you feel like a little mental rest could help you get back to where you want to be?
Yeah, I think it’s a good break for me. I’ll look at it that way, but at the same time, I’m wondering what I can do to stay sharp in the midst of all this. When I come back, I’ll be kind of in the wet concrete, which will allow me to mold the things that I may have struggled with mechanically to get back on a healthy footing. I’ve got plenty of time to wait for my wrist to be very strong before I come back and be 100%. I have to get full mobility back first before I can get strength back.
What do you do with this free time?
I had surgery in Colorado, we were there for a few weeks and I came back to Texas a week ago. I have three kids including a one-year-old, so I’ve been taking care of them. I love being a dad, it’s cool to have that time during the day with my kids even though I can only do half of what I normally do. But it’s a unique opportunity right now, and I’m enjoying being home. I’ve always been very involved and my family has traveled with me almost every week on Tour. I have a heightened respect for moms, single parents, it’s the most rewarding job there is.
When do you think you will be ready to return to competition?
I expect to be up and running by January 1st, my goal is to be tournament ready. Not just to be able to play but expect to be at my best. I’m going to have the opportunity to work really hard on my short game before I get back to the long game. I don’t know how long that will take, it depends on how quickly the mobility and strength come back, but given my age and the way it’s progressed so far, it’s going in the right direction. I know a lot of athletes who have had the same surgery, they’ve come back very well. There’s definitely a bit of concern about not feeling the same way but I’ll wait until I feel the same way I did before I come back to play.
