Brendon de Jonge has conceded that he does not share the same level of confidence regarding Jordan Spieth’s current play as the three-time major winner does himself.
Spieth’s journey in the FedEx Cup playoffs has come to an end following his inability to secure a spot in the top 50 during his run in Memphis last week.
The Texas native wrapped up the FedEx St. Jude Championship in a tie for 19th place. Nevertheless, this outcome fell short of securing him a spot in this week’s BMW Championship.
Even so, Jordan Spieth appears rather satisfied with the trajectory of his performance.
Apprehensions raised over Jordan Spieth following his elimination from the FedEx Cup
Following his final round at TPC Southwind, Spieth maintained that he was on the verge of playing outstanding golf. In reality, he has been offering a comparable perspective throughout most of this season.
The issue lies in the fact that Spieth occupied a singular position in the lineup during last week’s opening FedEx Cup playoff tournament. The thirty-three-year-old was the sole competitor in Memphis who had not recorded a single top-10 finish on the PGA Tour all season.
Perhaps he deserves credit for his steady play because of this. Navigating his way into the top 70 under such conditions is a highly commendable feat.
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Yet, in an appearance on 5 Clubs, Brendon de Jonge indicated that his view of Spieth’s performance diverges from the player’s own evaluation.
“To be completely candid, I don’t believe he is nearly as near to a breakthrough as he assumes. In my opinion, we are still seeing far too many erratic shots from Jordan Spieth. Of course, his best moments are solid, and those moments are showing progress, but establishing consistency and building momentum is incredibly tough when a major error is always looming. That appears to be the ongoing pattern for Jordan Spieth, and it has been that way for several seasons now,” he remarked.
“It makes things significantly harder. The mental hurdles and setbacks just keep accumulating over time. On top of that, you have to consider the waves of talented young players emerging. The competition is only bound to get stiffer as the field on the PGA Tour grows increasingly deep. Granted, the sport of golf is undoubtedly more exciting when Jordan Spieth is in top form. However, as I mentioned, I simply do not see him being as close to turning it around as he believes.”
A statistical breakdown of Jordan Spieth’s performance this year
Even if it isn’t always obvious, Spieth seems to be striving to develop a more balanced all-around skillset.
He ranks between 43rd and 83rd in all primary strokes gained statistics on the PGA Tour. This balanced placement could be interpreted as encouraging, showing that no single area of his game is failing completely.
During the period when his wrist was causing him trouble, his off-the-tee performance actually took a step forward. Conversely, his iron play took a major hit, likely because Spieth was hesitant about how his injured wrist would handle impact with the ground.
It would be highly beneficial to see Spieth compete in several events during the autumn schedule. Snapping his winless drought on the PGA Tour—which has now extended to more than four years—would provide a massive confidence boost.
Nonetheless, if he remains convinced that his game is on the cusp of a turnaround, Spieth might see no reason to alter his current strategy.
