Jordan Spieth is targeting a return to action in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am after recovering from wrist surgery in August.
The three-time Major winner went under the knife to address a long-standing issue with his left wrist that first flared up before the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill.
Spieth battled on despite the problem, but he suffered a slump in form, including slipping from 13th in the world rankings at the start of 2024 to 43rd after his most recent appearance, a T68 in August’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Following elimination from the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Spieth confirmed he would undergo surgery “asap” and at the end of August, he revealed it had been successful.
In December, Spieth gave an update on his progress, telling SiriusXM PGA Tour radio: “It feels good. None of the shots, you know, I don't really have any problems with it
“No pain, no anything. So now it's kind of just taking care of it, continuing to do therapy probably through the new year, and just be prepared to go start playing some golf and be prepared to play three weeks in a row.”
Now, in an interview with the AP’s Doug Ferguson, Spieth explained the surgery had helped him eradicate some unwanted habits that had crept into his game. He said: “I had some really bad habits for a long time. Whether it was something that would have happened anyway or whether anything in my wrist was causing me to not be able to get into certain positions, I don’t have that issue now.”
Spieth also revealed he wouldn’t be putting too much pressure on himself to hit the ground running at the California event, which begins on 30 January. “I think I’m trying to look big picture,” he said. “I don’t want to put too much pressure on a hot start. I just want to get back into a rhythm. This is by far the longest I’ve gone between tournament rounds.”
Despite his caution, the former World No.1, who is now ranked 70th, still believes he can get back to his best. He added: “I want to feel like I step on the tee and I know I’m one of the best golfers in the world - I have no doubts about that when I step on the tee.
“I want things to be in place where I feel consistent enough to believe that day in and day out. It has to do with being on runs where you’re finishing in the top 10, top 15 every week. I know that feeling. That’s the feeling I want to get back to."