Since returning from his wrist surgery, Jordan Spieth has grabbed headlines this year. He made his competitive return to the PGA Tour in February at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and then also participated at the Genesis Invitational. But it was not his performances at these events that got fans talking. It was the fact that he was given exemptions to these two high-profile events he would not have otherwise qualified for. This raised questions from the fans about the Tour’s meritocracy claims and while there was a case to be made for his presence in these signature events, his latest announcement did little to curry favor with the disgruntled bunch.
Spieth had a less-than-ideal return to the greens at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am but made a strong comeback at the WM Phoenix Open with a T4 finish. However, he failed to impress at the Genesis Invitational as he missed the cut. He admitted that he was struggling with the wrist injury after The Genesis, and he wasn’t expected to be seen on Tour until the Arnold Palmer in a few weeks’ time. But Spieth seems determined to get some reps in before the event in Bay Hill.
On Friday PGA Tour confirmed the field for the Cognizant Classic on X. However, just over an hour and a half after the first field list was made public, they posted again on X, this time to confirm Jordan Spieth’s presence at The Palm Beaches, Florida event. This will mark the first time that three-time Major winner Jordan Spieth will play at the Cognizant Classic in his 12-year pro career.
Apart from Spieth, several Palm Beach County residents, including Rickie Fowler, Daniel Berger, and Gary Woodland, return for the event that starts Thursday on the Champion Course at PGA National, one of the statistically toughest courses on the PGA Tour calendar.
