Pro Golf Now
Fansided

Jordan Spieth: 2021 FedEx Cup Contender or Pretender?

By Tim Letcher

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 15: Jordan Spieth of the United States reacts to his shot from the fifth tee during the first round of The CJ Cup @ Shadow Creek on October 15, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 15: Jordan Spieth of the United States reacts to his shot from the fifth tee during the first round of The CJ Cup @ Shadow Creek on October 15, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Jordan Spieth was once one of the hottest players in the world. His success led him to win the 2015 FedEx Cup. Can he contend for that prize again?

With the 2021 portion of the PGA Tour schedule now underway, we at Pro Golf Now will be taking a look at players outside of the current top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings and whether they are contenders or pretenders for the 2021 FedEx Cup. Our latest subject is the current No. 166, Jordan Spieth.

Best career FedEx Cup finish: Spieth has made it to the Tour Championship five times during his career, fro 2013-2017. He finished in the top 10 in all of those years except 2014, when he was 15th. His best finish came in 2015 when he won the FedEx Cup in a season where he won five times. He came close to winning it again, finishing second in 2017.

More from Pro Golf Now

So far this season: Spieth has had a tough start to the 2020-21 season. His first event was at the Safeway Open, where he shot 73 on Thursday and 70 on Friday to miss the cut.

The following week, Spieth played the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. His Thursday round of 73 was not bad, but his Friday 81 left him at 14-over par and well outside the cut line.

After three weeks off, Spieth returned to the tour at the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek. He shot 74 on both Thursday and Friday to take himself out of contention. But he did play the weekend since there was no cut, and he fared much better. Spieth shot 69 on Saturday and 67 on Sunday to climb into a tie for 38th place.

He played the Zozo Championship the next week and again showed some positive signs. After a 70 on Thursday, Spieth shot 66 on Friday. A 74 on Saturday took him out of the mix but he finished with a 67, which left him in a tie for 41st place.

He played two more events in 2020 and was hoping for a strong finish. However, he didn’t get that.

Spieth played the Houston Open in early November. He shot 73 on Thursday and 71 on Friday to miss the cut.

Brooks Koepka: 2021 FedEx Cup Contender or Pretender?. dark. Next

His final 2020 start came at the Masters, where he hoped to find some of his old magic. Spieth opened with a 74 at Augusta National but rebounded with a 70 on Friday to make the cut. However, he was only able to muster a 73 on Saturday and a 72 on Sunday. He finished in a tie for 46th.

The verdict: The struggle continues for Spieth. After five dazzling years on tour, the last three have seen him take a step back each time, including his 107th-place finish in last year’s playoffs. Unless he can figure out something pretty quickly, he’s looking at a similar finish this season. Consider him a pretender until he figures out all of the things that ail him.

Home/Jordan Spieth