Jordan Spieth came up just short of securing a spot in next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. Despite a solid performance at the Cognizant Classic, Spieth finished three strokes behind the cutoff needed to qualify for the prestigious event through the Aon Swing 5. Naturally, he was disappointed. In an interview after the tournament, he admitted, “I’m bummed not to be there next week. It’s been a great, great place for me, and I really wish I was getting that start, but I needed to play better… injured golf last year, I guess.”

Spieth won’t be the only notable absence next week, as Jake Knapp, who shot an impressive 59 in the opening round, also failed to make the cut after a rough finish. Spieth, reflecting on his performance, shared that he feels like he’s playing good golf but still is not quite at 100%. “I really do feel like I’m playing good golf at about 60% of the control tee to green that I’m capable of doing,” he said. Despite being “one swing away” from a chance to win, he pointed to a costly triple bogey on the 17th hole as the turning point in his round.

Later, the official X account of Monday Q Info took to their official X account and shared a thought on the exemption status. They began the post by saying, “Debate the sponsor exemptions, all you want, but…. If Jordan and Rickie wanted to play this week, earn points, and get ready for the Players, they could have gone to Puerto Rico.” The unofficial Major of the season, THE PLAYERS, is scheduled to begin on March 13. Now these players could have played at the Puerto Rico Open, which is scheduled alongside the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and earn more points to make it to the TPC Sawgrass. 

They even added that the event would have been more than happy to have them, and it could have been an excellent opportunity. Over the years, many players have used opposite-field events to jumpstart their careers or revive their game after a rough patch or injury. That’s the beauty of these events – they offer a unique mix of veterans who are struggling or recovering and young, hungry players all fighting for their moment. It’s exactly what makes the opposite-field events so special.

And as it turns out, the golf community does believe that the point of view is absolutely right.

Golf Community urges Jordan Spieth to begin with smaller events

Just three months after turning pro, the former University of Texas standout found himself tied for the lead as Sunday’s round at the Puerto Rico Open wound down. However, a bogey on the 16th hole dropped him one shot behind Scott Brown, who claimed the victory.

The par-5 18th hole at Trump International was pivotal, as Fabian Gomez, who was leading, made a bogey, while Brown birdied to take the win by one stroke. Spieth, who was granted a sponsor exemption, was attempting to become the youngest PGA Tour winner in modern history. The 19-year-old, a two-time U.S. Junior champion, shot all four rounds in the 60s (69-66-67-67) to finish at 19-under 269.

His T-2 finish earned him a spot in the following week’s Tampa Bay Championship, which was a significant achievement since non-members like Spieth are only allowed seven sponsor exemptions per season on the PGA Tour. Taking to this, one of them commented, “It’s where Spieth began his run to tour status after failing at the second stage of Q School the previous fall. A return would be a great storyline.” While another took a jab at him and wrote, “Agree. You put a racehorse against weak competition to train it to win and build confidence. These guys need to get a win under the belt. Or like when you have a breakup. You take a rebound to build confidence.”

Both Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth have failed to give significant performances in the last two years. Last season, the latter appeared in 22 events, and not only did he not grab any wins, but also finished in the top 10 only thrice. On the other hand, Rickie Fowler had a similar situation, in fact worse. Last year, he appeared in 23 events and finished in the top 10 only at the ZOZO Championship. 

Taking to this, one of them agreed and wrote, “No debate. Neither has played well in at least 2 years.” Another commented, “People won’t like this take – it’s correct but still people would like it. Well said, mate”.

One of them simply stated, “The term Pampered F–ks Tour™ comes to mind.” What are your thoughts on Jordan Spieth’s situation? Let us know in the comments section below!