Jordan Spieth has admitted that a long-term wrist injury may need to be addressed “this offseason.”
The three-time Major winner has been bothered by the issue since the week before the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, and, 15 months later, it has still not healed.
Spieth plays in this week’s Wyndham Championship, looking to improve his current FedEx Cup standing of 63rd heading into the Playoffs after a frustrating year that has seen him slip from 13th in the world rankings to 39th.
His wrist issue hasn’t helped and he revealed it's something he may have to address sooner rather than later. “It's not hurting, but subconsciously it's hard not to look at the numbers and think this isn't a coincidence,” he explained. “I've been taking trips out as well as being in contact with a lot of doctors, getting it scanned again and trying to figure out what the next move is.
“Probably going to have to do something about it this offseason. I'm going to pretend nothing's happening, fully trust it given that I'll be able to get it fixed, and I know there's a lot of golfers that have had similar situations and come back better than ever.”
Despite the uncertainty of what’s to come, Spieth insists he's focusing on the positives. He continued: “I like to think hopefully I have 10 to 15 years of prime and some of my best golf left, so I'll be optimistic about the process.
“But I'm not quite sure exactly what I'll do and where I'll do it, but unfortunately something kind of has to get done.”
Spieth then detailed precisely what is bothering him about his wrist. “I'm not in any pain playing, that's what's confusing,” he said. “If I was, I wouldn't have played anymore. It's all off the golf course weird little things where my tendon will kind of pop out, sublux or dislocate out of the groove and then I've got to get it back in or else I wouldn't be able to grip a club.
“It's a very weird scenario and one that's been a little frustrating because I would have liked to have known this is the answer or this is the answer and just have to figure it out.”
He then reiterated that it is holding him back more mentally than physically. “From what I understand, it doesn't heal or get better, so it's more of a way-of-life decision," he said. "When I'm hitting balls I'm not thinking about it, I'm not worried about it, but I just don't know subconsciously, it's too tough to measure if or if it's not making a difference."
While Spieth has been a long way from his best this year, not helped by the issue, he also revealed he’s hoping to contend for the 2028 US Olympics team, particularly as the golf tournaments will be held at Riviera Country Club.
“You know, it didn't matter where they were going to announce the golf course, but Riviera is like a top-5 golf course to me, so the idea of playing in the Olympics at Riviera when it was announced, it became from a high goal to a top goal.”
Perhaps because of his ongoing wrist issue, Spieth refuses to look too far ahead, though, and insisted the first step is putting himself back in contention for titles, adding: “I'd like to get back to starting to have a chance on Sundays more and then see where that takes me.”
