With season over, Jordan Spieth plans ‘relatively common’ wrist surgery soon

MEMPHIS — While he did not want to divulge where and when he will undergo surgery on his troubled left wrist, Jordan Spieth hinted Sunday after completing a two-over 72 in the FedEx St. Jude Championship that the procedure is imminent.

Because recovery for the operation takes roughly 12 weeks, and Spieth said he is eyeing an outside chance to be ready in time for the Hero World Challenge in December—providing he remains among the top 50 in the world—it appears that the Dallas resident has to have surgery by the end of the month.

Spieth has been troubled by the malady since withdrawing from CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May 2023. The issue is a weak tendon sheath that holds the tendon in place. The tendon can get displaced while doing routine things, though it has not caused discomfort while playing. Spieth said a surgeon has to “recreate the tendon sheath so that it doesn’t dislocate.”

“I think it's relatively common,” the three-time major winner said. “I've talked to a lot of people. My understanding is it's like you could maybe chip and put or putt after eight weeks, but after 12 weeks you kind of come back … I think it's rehab after six, so I think they say 12 weeks. But if I don't have a reason to try to rush back, which I don't, I'll probably just take it as slow as I can.”

Spieth, 31, finished the opening FedEx Cup playoff event on the PGA Tour tied for 68th place in the 70-man field at nine-over 289, and will not advance to next week’s BMW Championship in Colorado. He is 67th in the points standings with no chance of falling outside the top 125 that are exempt for next season.

Playing with Max Homa in the first pairing of the day, Spieth’s final hole of the tournament featured two shots in the water hazard left of the fairway at the 18th hole. He converted from 31 feet for a double bogey.

“I think this is my second lowest finish in the FedEx Cup outside of the COVID year, and I tried to just play a ton to see if I could get to next week, maybe get to East Lake [and the Tour Championship], and I just had the same thing every single week,” Spieth said. “So it was incredibly frustrating. It's probably the most frustrating year I've ever had. Just I put a lot on my own plate and then had some unfortunate circumstances, too.”

A father of two small children, Spieth’s plate also has included his duties as a player director on the PGA Tour Policy Board, a role that has been more demanding as the tour this year has gone on to create its for-profit business, PGA Tour Enterprises, and has been in negotiates with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia for an additional investment of capital on top of the $1.5 billion it received in January from Strategic Sports Group.

With only three top-10 finishes this year, and none since a T-10 at the Valero Texas Open prior to the Masters, Spieth has dropped to 43rd in the world.

“So it happened last May was the first instance, and since then, I think I have three top-10s,” Spieth said. “Before that I was, I don't know, top 10 in the world, maybe.”

He’s not far off. Spieth has five top-10s since withdrawing from the Nelson last year, and he was 10th in the world at the time. Prior to the first flare up, Spieth had posted five top-six finishes in the early part of 2023, including a playoff loss to Matt Fitzpatrick in his title defense at the RBC Heritage in April.

“I kept trying not to make excuses for myself because it didn't hurt when I was swinging, but it doesn't seem coincidental based on the amount of time and really the results being the exact same every single week,” he said, referring to the disappointing season that includes a career-high seven missed cuts and that “unfortunate” disqualification at the Genesis Invitational where he opened with a 66 but forgot to sign his scorecard while dealing with a bout of intestinal distress.

“I'm very hopeful,” he added. “I think there's some clarity in getting it done as long as there's also some uncertainty, and so it's a little scary. But also if I can learn to find some patience, which I'm not very good at doing, then I think I could come back stronger.”