Jordan Spieth Shares Real Reason He is Teeing it up at Cognizant Classic

Jordan Spieth is at PGA National Resort this weekend to continue his PGA Tour season. However, his presence there is not just about crossing the Cognizant Classic off his list of tournaments to play on the circuit, he has a clear strategy in mind.

Spieth has played just three events in the current 2025 season, which has a direct impact on his FedEx Cup standings. It also doesn’t help that he finished 2024 ranked 80th on the list, which limits his access to the year’s major events. Ergo, he needs as many starts as he can get.

“The fact that I hadn’t played much,” Spieth said from PGA National, “and then I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to be able to play going forward, I think this year’s schedule is just a little bit up in arms for me as I try to get my feet under me. I also am playing a bit of catch-up. I don’t like finishing outside the top 50 with the new system.”

Beginning in 2023, only the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings qualify for the season playoffs, and only the top 50 qualify for all of the following year’s Signature Events, which have the highest purses and distribute the most points for both the world and FedEx Cup rankings.

Spieth has never played PGA National in a PGA Tour event, a factor he cited as relevant in his decision to play in Florida. The weather, he said, was also on his mind.

“We came off a deep freeze in Dallas last week, and we decided that was enough of that, he said. “I’m excited to be here. I played here in junior golf. I’ve obviously watched it pretty much every year. It’s got one of the most exciting closing stretches in the game. Actually, all four of these Florida tournaments in a row do, have pretty amazing closing stretches.”

“So my goal now,” he added, “as we look towards the Masters, is to try to play difficult golf courses and work my way into contention and just see what I can improve upon by the time we get to Augusta.”

The three-time major champion is recovering from wrist surgery he underwent last fall. It caused him to get a late start to the 2025 season and, Spieth said, still bothers him at times.

“There was a couple stretches here and there [in his previous starts] where it bothered me, but from the guys I talked to that have had similar operations, that’s normal… When it was warm out, I didn’t feel any restrictions. I had a harder time when it was cold.”

Jordan Spieth has played three PGA Tour events ahead of the Cognizant Classic, two of them on sponsor exemptions. He tied for 69th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and got an excellent finish tying for fourth at the Phoenix Open. Finally, he missed the cut at the Genesis Invitational.

Thus far, the Texas native is ranked 72nd in the 2025 FedEx Cup standings, something he will look to change this week.

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