ROCHESTER, N.Y. – After battling for 72 holes with a bum wrist at Oak Hill, Jordan Spieth would like to “ice my brain a bit,” he said.
Spieth, who tried and failed for the seventh time to complete the career Grand Slam, made five birdies Sunday en route to closing in 1-under 69 and a 72-hole total of 5-over 285. After withdrawing from last week’s tournament with a left wrist injury, Spieth finished T-30 at the 105th PGA Championship.
“Two weeks ago I would have signed up for this easily,” Spieth said. “And that’s really weird for me to say in a major.”
Before the injury, Spieth was riding a hot streak having finished T-3 at the Masters and losing in a playoff at the RBC Heritage. He looked to be one of the favorites ahead of the PGA.
“Off of Hilton Head I would have said I was excited as ever to have this opportunity, for sure, but from there I went downhill for a bit,” he said.
Spieth competed in the Wells Fargo Championship two weeks ago and tweaked his back Monday morning. He took it easy the next few days and played poorly. Late on Friday, he hurt his wrist.
“It’s life, it’s what happens,” he said. “My expectations changed. I didn’t think I would be here.”
Spieth said he prayed for his wrist to get better. He credited his team with helping him heal enough to be able to grip the club and swing at full speed.
Jordan Spieth’s taped arm on the ninth green during the final round of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club. (Photo: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports)
“This is something that hockey guys wouldn’t even have told anybody about and would’ve gone back out and played,” Spieth said.
For the week, he struck the ball well, ranking second in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. It was actually his short game that refused to behave – he ranked 63rd in SG: Putting and 73rd in SG: Around the Green, and he was 11 for 24 in scrambling.
Spieth said his wrist injury is trending the right way and he is planning to play the next two weeks at the Charles Schwab Challenge, where he’s a past champion, and at the Memorial. All he said he needed was a good ice plunge to put the week in the past.
“It’s what I love to do and I wouldn’t trade my job for anything but after a taxing week like this sometimes your brain is a little fried and you get a lot of people screaming at you every time you walk in between (holes) and you just kind of hear some ringing in your ears, so, for me, I go back and take a cold plunge, take a day off and I’m ready to go.”