Jordan Spieth headed for wrist surgery with his 2024 golf season over

MEMPHIS – Jordan Spieth’s 2024 season ended with an eventful 18th hole at the St Jude Championship on Aug 18, when he found the water twice before holing a 32-foot putt for double-bogey.

Spieth will not qualify for the next leg of the FedExCup play-offs, and after his final round he confirmed that he plans to undergo surgery on his wrist “ASAP”.

The 31-year-old hinted early in August that surgery was likely because a tendon in his left wrist, while not causing him pain, would “pop out” at random, mostly when he is off the golf course. He originally injured the wrist in 2023.

Spieth needs a surgeon to “recreate the tendon sheath” to prevent future dislocations.

“It’s relatively common,” he said on Aug 18. “I’ve talked to a lot of people. My understanding is it’s like you could maybe chip or putt after eight weeks, but after 12 weeks you kind of come back...

“I think it’s rehab after six, so I think they say 12 weeks. But if I don’t have a reason to try to rush back, which I don’t, I’ll probably just take it as slow as I can.”

The three-time Major champion does not need to play this fall in order to retain his PGA Tour card. It is possible he will not return to competition until January.

But after shooting a two-over 72 on Aug 18 at TPC Southwind, the world No. 43 was tied for 68th out of 70 golfers in the field and was projected to finish the season 66th in FedExCup points.

Only the top 50 advance to the BMW Championship this week.

Spieth has 13 wins on the PGA Tour, but none since the RBC Heritage in April 2022. He began the 2024 season with a third-place showing at The Sentry and tied for sixth at the Phoenix Open, but he had only one more top-10 finish while missing seven cuts.

Over on the LIV Golf tour, Brooks Koepka defeated Jon Rahm on the first play-off hole to win the LIV Greenbrier title on Aug 18 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

Koepka’s final-round, seven-under 63 allowed him to force a play-off with his Spanish counterpart at 19-under 191. Rahm had the overnight lead and posted a five-under 65, but Koepka made his push by birdying three straight holes at No. 12 at The Greenbrier.

The American went on to make par at the first play-off hole, and Rahm had a long par putt to extend the match, but it kissed the right edge of the cup and lipped out.

Koepka had double the reason to celebrate because his team, Smash GC, took home the team title by three shots over Ripper GC, captained by Cameron Smith of Australia. Koepka, Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak and Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell combined to go 18 under on Aug 18, pushing their three-day total to 53 under.

It was the five-time Major champion’s fifth LIV victory, the most in the league’s brief history. REUTERS