Is Jordan Spieth Qualified for the 2024 Open Championship?

Hard times are part and parcel of life. Jordan Spieth has been grappling with this reality for a while now. The thirteen-time PGA Tour champion has been eagerly awaiting a victory to end his drought since 2023. At thirty years old, Spieth has shown he deserves the unwavering support and admiration of his fans, having qualified for the 152nd edition of the Open Championship, set to take place from July 18 and 21.

Despite a challenging 2024 with only three top-10 finishes so far, Jordan Spieth is poised to showcase his prowess at the season’s final major. Many might wonder: How did Spieth manage to qualify for the oldest major in golf this year, given his less-than-stellar performance?

To qualify for the Open Championship, specific criteria must be met, and the three-time major winner has excelled in four of them. Firstly, Spieth, a previous Open Championship victor, is under sixty years old as of July 21, 2024. Secondly, he fulfills the requirement of being a British major winner between 2013 and 2023, owing to his 2017 triumph at the Open Championship.

The other two criteria fulfilled by the 30-year-old are a bit different. One relates to his impressive position in the official World Golf Ranking, where only the top 50 players qualify—Spieth currently ranks 36th worldwide. Lastly, as a three-time major champion, he secures a spot among the top 30 in the 2023 FedEx Cup rankings.

While Jordan Spieth has secured his place in the Open Championship, his path to victory appears challenging. His momentum has faltered since the WM Phoenix Open, where he finished T6. Subsequently, he has managed only one additional top-10 finish, with the rest of his performances failing to crack even the top 25. His year has been marred by six missed cuts, culminating in his disqualification from the Genesis Invitational.

How did Jordan Spieth get disqualified from the 2024 Genesis Invitational?

The streak of bad performances for the 30-year-old started with a disqualification at the Genesis Invitational. This has had an impact on the 13-time PGA Tour winner as since then he has been missing cuts and performing miserably. Spieth was inside the top 10 at the event before he double-bogeyed his last hole in the second round. A scoring discrepancy took place, and Spieth confirmed that he had signed for a par-3 on the fourth hole but had actually made a bogey.

Accepting his mistake while singing for the scores, Spieth later said on social media, “Rules are rules, and I take full responsibility. I love this tournament and golf course as much as any on [the PGA Tour], so it hurts to not have a run at the weekend”. Spieth wasn’t feeling well during the round, and by the time the scoring discrepancy was identified, Spieth had vanished from the scoring area setting off his disqualification.

After having a streak of bad finishes, do you think Jordan Spieth will be able to conquer all odds and lift the Claret Jug once again?