Jordan Spieth ‘bummed’ he’s not in API field: ‘Needed to play better injured golf’

Jordan Spieth continues to make strides in his recovery from offseason wrist surgery, securing a top-10 finish at the Cognizant Classic. Finishing at 14 under, he tied for ninth at PGA National, five shots behind winner Joe Highsmith. Despite his progress, Spieth acknowledged his game is still not at full strength, estimating he’s playing at about 60% of his best tee-to-green control.

Although Spieth has momentum heading into the Players Championship, he won’t be competing in this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. He had hoped to qualify through his Cognizant Classic performance but fell short. Spieth, who has two top-four finishes at Bay Hill since 2020, admitted disappointment, stating, “I really wish I was getting that start, but I needed to play better injured golf last year.”

Without a sponsor exemption, Spieth joins Rickie Fowler in missing the API. Sam Saunders, Arnold Palmer’s grandson, emphasized the importance of effort in exemption requests, praising Rafa Campos instead. Spieth’s next opportunity comes at the Players Championship, followed by the Valspar Championship, where he won in 2015. Missing out on Bay Hill may fuel his drive to break his nearly three-year winless streak.