Everyone knows why Jordan Spieth gets into the Signature events every time. Even without a win since the 2022 RBC Heritage, he still moves the needle. So, when he was not selected in the Featured Groups for API 2026, even after getting selected for the event, it sparked a burning question.

If the results in these featured broadcast rounds don’t technically matter and the entire purpose is to capitalize on star power to drive viewership, why select him at all if you aren’t going to feature him? The PGA Tour dropped the Featured Groups list for the Arnold Palmer Invitational 2026 on March 2. Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Thomas will lead the early charge on Thursday morning. Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Shane Lowry, Russell Henley, Rory McIlroy, and Viktor Hovland will also enjoy the spotlight. But not Jordan Spieth.

Spieth faced a very rough ride over the last two seasons. The last time he felt he was playing with a cushion was in January 2024 in Hawaii. At the 2024 Sentry, Spieth finished solo third. Sadly, he could not keep that magic going through and ended the 2024 season ranked 61st in FedExCup points, missing the crucial Top 50 cutoff by 11 spots. The bad form continues in the 2025 season as well. Despite getting 6 Sponsor Exemptions throughout the season, Spieth once again fell out of the bubble.

But the free passes did not sit well with some of his fellow pro golfers. Robert Garrigus made some rough comments, and the sting got worse when the API committee actually said no to his request to play in the event. And in between, Spieth admitted several times that it hurt to have to rely on these special favors.

Luckily, the 2026 season feels like a fresh start, and he said that his golf swing “has definitely structurally been the best it has been in almost ten years” during an appearance on the No Laying Up Podcast. And we saw the results. Spieth finished T24 at the Sony Open and T29 at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. And his most brilliant performance came at the Genesis Invitational, where he finished T12 after a late surge.

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Despite this, what truly broke the fans’ patience was that the PGA Tour hadn’t featured Spieth in the broadcast rounds earlier this season. He wasn’t selected for the primary featured groups in the Genesis Invitational 2026 as well.

Fan reaction to the PGA Tour’s decision not to select Spieth

The announcement of the API featured groups without Spieth triggered an immediate wave of backlash.

One fan said, “Y’all continue to frustrate… no Spieth AGAIN. Do better.”

The PGA Tour didn’t feature the three-time major champion during the Genesis Invitational 2026. But he was selected in the featured group during the 2026 Pebble Beach Pro-Am in a group with Xander Schauffele.

Despite that, the recent ignorance of his visibility, even after selecting him for the event, makes the fans angry. And the decision to ignore him feels especially odd because he is essentially there to be the main attraction. Jordan hasn’t held a trophy since early 2022, but the “Spieth Experience” still draws a huge crowd. Remember how his creative shots during the Genesis Invitational 2026 left Hollywood actress Kathryn Newton gasping in total shock.

“No, Jordy is crazy work, btw,” one fan wrote, while another added, “Is this a joke?”

One fan even declared their total lack of interest in the current featured group lineup, writing, “No spieth, I’m out 🥱✌️.”

Some fans even tagged media analysts like Joseph LaMagna from the Fried Egg outlet and asked, “Did you have something to do with this @JosephLaMagna???? Can’t imagine anyone wants to watch every shot from Russ Henley and Shane Lowry over Jordan Spieth this week.”

While Russell Henley is the world No. 7 and defending champion, and Shane Lowry is a major winner coming off a crushing heartbreak at the Cognizant Classic, where he blew a three-shot lead in the final three holes, for fans, no amount of ‘defending champion’ status or emotional ups and downs can replace the thrill of watching Spieth.

For now, though Spieth was ignored for the featured broadcast, he will still be competing at Bay Hill for the first time since 2024. And after a strong T12 finish at the Genesis Invitational, where he secured some house money and valuable FedExCup points (the first time since the 2024 Sentry), Spieth appears fully ready to make a turnaround.