Jordan Spieth is making a notable return to the Hero World Challenge, an event he famously won by 10 shots more than a decade ago. Currently ranked 70th in the world, Spieth has not recorded a win in over three years and gained entry through a special invite from Tiger Woods.
After undergoing wrist surgery last offseason, Spieth has teamed up with his longtime coach Cameron McCormick to rebuild his swing. He acknowledged the difficulty in reversing entrenched bad habits and admitted transferring practice skills to competitive rounds has been slower than hoped.
Spieth is using this tournament as a test to evaluate the “structural integrity” of his swing before the 2026 PGA Tour season. “I feel healthy,” he said, expecting to regain consistent form by January. His goal is to make changes that allow him to perform well in at least 80 percent of his swings to win again.
The 32-year-old stated that despite feeling ready earlier, he made the strategic choice to wait for the Hero World Challenge instead of playing in other recent events. This tournament offers a guaranteed four rounds and is closer to the start of the official season, making it an ideal place to gauge progress.
Spieth finished the previous FedEx Cup playoffs ranked 54th and dropped to 61st by the end of the FedEx Cup Fall, which limited his qualifications for upcoming signature events. He aims to avoid relying on exemptions moving forward and plans to kick off the next season at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
This tournament holds critical significance for Spieth to measure areas of improvement and identify which shots demand more focus. His pursuit of stabilizing his swing is central to reclaiming the form that made him a three-time major champion and one of golf’s elite competitors.
He remains focused on the process, explaining, “This will be a good gauge on what shots are harder, what shots are easier.” The results here will help shape his training and preparation for the challenges ahead in the new season.
Read more at: golfweek.usatoday.com-
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