Jordan Spieth sends defiant message to rivals after Arnold Palmer Invitational snub

Despite not making the cut for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Jordan Spieth remains upbeat about his form, asserting that he’s “on the right track” as the Masters approaches in April.

The champion golfer, who’s savored three major wins and previously topped the golf world rankings, has been battling to find a steady form of late. However, he’s positive that he’s swinging back towards his top game on the PGA Tour. Spieth’s journey wasn’t without its bumps – he tumbled out of the top 100 near the end of the last decade, dipped to No. 92 in 2021, and witnessed another decline in his rank in 2024.

Though the 31-year-old didn’t bag a spot in the API, with exemptions going instead to Min Woo Lee, Justin Rose, Mackenzie Hughes, and Rafa Campos, a strong performance at the Cognizant Classic – where he tied for ninth – gave his morale a hefty lift. Unlike previous years, Spieth is no longer grappling in the dark for his form.

“Right now, I’m on the right track back. I’m progressing, and I know that I’m on the right track. I’m not searching for answers,” Spieth reflected on his 14-under-par finish at the Cognizant Classic, which left him a mere five shots adrift of the victor, Joe Highsmith. He added, “That’s a big difference. That just means it’ll come. If you had told me 14 under at the beginning of the week, I would have shook your hand and gone home. It may even be in the top 10. It’s crazy good golf out there.

“But the problem is I’ve been so far off for so many years … so hopefully it just continues to get better. I feel like I’m in a-I have way more knowledge about what I do well and why I did it well and how to get back to doing that than I did back then. I feel like I can do stuff like this every week.”

Spieth, who had to contend with serious wrist injuries in 2024, has bounced back and isn’t fretting over another setback, which was throwing his swing off kilter. “No limitations on the wrist. Being able to hold the club in the right place going back is a big deal,” he remarked.

“I’m not thinking about it much at all on the golf course, which is really the goal.”

The American golfer hasn’t quite hit the dizzying heights of his 2015 heyday when he was the toast of the majors, scooping up the Masters and the U.S. Open, nabbing fourth at The Open Championship, and snagging second at the PGA Championship. Yet, Spieth has clawed his way back into the top 100 thrice after slipping from the upper echelons, and now feels more adept at navigating the ups and downs thanks to his seasoned perspective.

“I think it’s way different (than 2021),” he observed. “I’m in a way better headspace now. I feel like I’m more capable of handling dips better than back then. If I didn’t putt well in 2019, I wouldn’t have made a cut.

“I feel like I have way more knowledge about what I do well and why I did it well and how to get back to doing that than I did back then. I feel like I can do stuff like this every week.”