Subsequent week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational will function a high-profile subject of 72 gamers however two of the sport’s hottest gamers is not going to be there.
Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler didn’t obtain invitations to Bay Hill; as an alternative, Rafael Campos, Justin Rose, Min Woo Lee, and Mackenzie Hughes acquired the 4 sponsors’ exemptions.
Final 12 months, Spieth performed by means of a wrist harm that finally required surgical procedure in August. He didn’t make it to the Tour Championship and posted solely three high 10s.
Spieth subsequently missed greater than 5 months and returned to the PGA Tour on the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am in early February. Spieth tied for 69th there, however then rebounded with a sturdy T-4 end on the WM Phoenix Open. The three-time main winner missed the lower on the Genesis Invitational the next week, however bounced again at this week’s Cognizant Basic, ending in a tie for ninth.
Now Spieth has per week off, and must watch certainly one of his favourite occasions from dwelling.
“I’m bummed to not be there subsequent week,” Spieth mentioned.
“It’s been an important, excellent place for me, and I actually want I used to be getting that begin, however I wanted to play higher injured golf final 12 months, I assume.”
Spieth mentioned he feels good general and can subsequent tee it up at The Gamers, which begins Mar. 13. He may even play on the Valspar Championship in Tampa the next week.
“I really feel like I’m trending in the best course,” Spieth mentioned.
“I really feel like I performed higher [this week] than I did in Phoenix. Phoenix is a greater match for me, I believe, perhaps. I simply throw out Torrey Pines as a result of I did what I at all times do there. It’s actually not an important choose on the place I’m at.
“I actually do really feel like I’m taking part in good golf at about 60 % of the management tee to inexperienced that I’m able to doing and nonetheless capable of come to a really difficult golf course and hit good photographs and shoot under-par rounds. I’m one swing away on Friday from having an opportunity to win, and that was a 9-iron, which is only a 1-in-100 sort of chunk.”
That one swing Spieth alluded to got here on the par-3 seventeenth, the place he discovered the water off the tee. After re-hitting from the drop-zone, Spieth three-putted from 20 ft and walked away with a triple bogey six. He finally completed 5 strokes behind winner Joe Highsmith, however he would have been an even bigger a part of the dialog with out that shot.
Had he completed larger, Spieth could have snuck into the Arnold Palmer Invitational subject through the Aon Swing 5. However he additionally would have acquired an invitation had he gained, which might have marked his first victory because the 2022 RBC Heritage.
At any charge, Spieth’s week off could also be a blessing in disguise — he can relaxation his left wrist earlier than taking part in back-to-back weeks.
“[My wrist has] been fairly good this week. It’s been just about the identical each morning after I get up,” Spieth mentioned.
“It’s simply minorly perhaps getting slightly bit higher because it’s getting hotter, nevertheless it’s very slowly — by the point I begin hitting, every little thing is okay, and I’m not occupied with it a lot in any respect on the golf course, which is actually the purpose. I simply hope that I begin to get up and it begins to really feel slightly extra regular. It’s unusual. It doesn’t really feel unstable like final 12 months; it’s simply merely beating it up. It’s simply the scar tissue and among the irritation.”
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By. Observe him on X @jack_milko.