Spieth will have to deal with wrist issues
'Something kind of has to get done' to his fix tendon in his left wrist
Left wrist issues have ‘subconsciously’ bothered Jordan Spieth all season (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Jordan Spieth said he likely faces some sort of procedure or surgery to deal with a tension in his left wrist that has bothered him for more than a year.
Although not in pain when he swings a golf club, Spieth said at the Wyndham Championship on Tuesday that he fears the injury might be bothering him “subconsciously.”
He’s in the field because his FedEx Cup standing (No. 62) is not as high as he would like heading into next week’s playoffs.
“It’s been a frustrating year because it’s been maybe my best driving year ever, and then the clubs that I make the most impact into the ground with, which normally are my bread and butter, have been pretty off,” Spieth told reporters at the Wyndham, which begins Thursday at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. “It’s not hurting, but subconsciously it’s hard not to look at the numbers and think this isn’t a coincidence.
“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.”
Spieth said his left ECU (extensor carpi ulnaris) — a tendon which extends the hand at the wrist joint — regularly pops out. He said has gotten more pronounced recently.
The three-time major champion has struggled much of this year, with no top-10 finishes in his last 17 events. He did not contend in any of the majors.
At 62nd in the FedEx Cup standings, Spieth will be among the top 70 who make it to next week’s playoff opener at the FedEx St. Jude Championship regardless of what happens this week at the Wyndham. But he has some work to do to get into the top 50 and advance to the BMW Championship — an important benchmark as it would qualify him for all the $20 million signature events in 2025.
He won’t let his wrist interfere with his goals for the final month of the PGA Tour season.
“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,” he said. “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. And I’ve never experienced anything like this before. Just trying to take my time making sure things are done right at the right time.”