“I hated it” – Jordan Spieth reflects on turning down a Presidents Cup team role, says it’s ‘better’ to watch
Jordan Spieth is currently in rehab after undergoing a long-overdue surgery to resolve his wrist injury. The 31-year-old, who had complained of issues for a while, went straight into the treatment after his season ended at the FedEx St. Jude Championship last month. Owing to the injury, the golfer remains unfit for the upcoming 2024 Presidents Cup.
Spieth has made four appearances in the competition so far, having played in the 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2022 editions. Notably, the 2015 Masters champion isn’t too disappointed about sitting out this year’s edition. The ace golfer assessed his physical condition and admitted it’s ‘better’ to watch from outside rather than take part in it. The 13-time PGA Tour winner stated that US team skipper Jim Furyk had multiple chats with him before this tournament.
Interestingly, he also recalled being out of the team in 2019 due to bad form. Spieth, who seems more mature now than back then, said he “hated it” at the time. The comments were made while he made his first public appearance after the surgery at a charity event in Dallas.
Discussing his omission from the 2024 Presidents Cup team, Jordan Spieth said on Monday, as quoted by Golfweek:
“I missed the one in 2019 or ’20, the one in Australia. And I remember that being really tough. That was hard. I hated it. I was struggling in my game at the time, so I didn’t feel like I deserved to be there by any means and this one I obviously would have no business being there in my current state. So, it’s a little bit different but it still stings.
It’s that hard to make those teams. You have to be that good year in and year out just to be considered one of the top 12 Americans. And I think Jim Furyk has an incredible team. I talked to him at length multiple times prior to this tournament. He asked different ways that maybe I can be involved. And it’s just at a very important part of my physical therapy so it’s just better for me to stay home and watch.”
It is pertinent to note that Furyk’s US squad is headlined by the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, and Patrick Cantlay, among others. The squad announcement was met with some displeasure from fans as it doesn’t feature LIV golfers including 2024 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau.
Jordan Spieth reveals his projected return date
Jordan Spieth expects to be ready for the new season by January 1, 2025. The ace golfer revealed the projected return date during the event on Monday.
The golfer, who made his first public appearance after the surgery, said his goal is ‘to be tournament-ready’ by the new year. This rules out reports of his return for the Hero World Challenge in December.
The PGA Tour star further expressed his wish to be playing at the ‘ceiling’ of his game by the new year and not waste time testing the waters. The three-time major championship winner said he’s planning to begin light practice during his time off to get into pace ahead of his comeback.
Jordan Spieth said, as quoted by Golfweek:
“I think that by 2025, by Jan. 1, it’s my goal to be tournament-ready. And for me, that would be not just going out and seeing how it feels, you know, but expecting to play at my ceiling. I’ll have an opportunity to work really hard on my short game before I can even swing.”
Furthermore, Jordan Spieth revealed that he’s been in contact with “six or eight other professional golfers” and other pros like “a few tennis players, a few baseball players” who underwent similar surgeries. The golfer is currently taking time off with his family but is focused on returning to the main stage when “it feels the same” to play.