Jordan Spieth lost to fate. The 33-year-old arrived at TPC Southwind not wanting to miss out on the Tour Championship for a third consecutive year. He needed a top spot this weekend to crack the top 50. But fate had other plans. Despite finishing tied for 19th, the 13-time PGA Tour winner couldn’t climb high enough in the FedEx Cup standings to qualify for next week’s BMW Championship. Speaking during his post-round press conference, Spieth opened up about his elimination.
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Jordan Spieth didn’t mince words when reflecting on what derailed his season, pinpointing the issue well before his early exit in Memphis. Rather than blaming a single cold week on the greens, the 13-time PGA Tour winner owned up to over-tinkering with his mechanics during a mid-season slump. “I just ran out of steam,” Spieth told reporters. “And maybe made a couple [of] bad decisions over about a six-week stretch on what I was working on, and I just didn’t quite have enough time to make up for it.”
Spieth was talking about his mid-season six-week slump. He tried to force a change in his swing, but that cost him: three missed cuts and zero top-10 finishes. For a former World No. 1 with 13 PGA Tour victories, including three majors, that kind of season is a far cry from what he can produce.
A Promising Start Slips Away on the Weekend
When the week began, the Dallas, Texas, native was No. 54 in the FedEx Cup standings. As the St. Jude Championship progressed, however, it looked like he might break into the top 50, the cutoff to advance to the next playoff event in St. Louis. He carded rounds of 65-69 through the first two days.
However, the momentum stalled over the weekend. A third-round 72 followed by an even-par 70 on Sunday anchored him in a tie for 19th at 4-under par, ultimately leaving him at No. 52—two painful spots shy of the playoff cutoff. “It was a tall task coming in,” Spieth reflected. “I just feel like I’m kind of getting back to playing really good golf, like it’s close to kicking off, and now I’m not going to play a tournament for a long time.”
“It was a tall task coming in. I was going to need to finish essentially in the top 10 this week and fell just shy of it,” Spieth added. “It’s funny, I just feel like I’m kind of getting back to playing really good golf, like it’s close to kicking off, and I’m not going to play a tournament for a long time.
He added further, “In some ways, I feel like I’m leaving some out there, and in some ways it’s a good thing because, as I mentioned after the first round, this will be the last time I finish like this for a while.”
The Top-50 Bubble Drama
Spieth was far from the only notable player caught in the playoff crossfire as the top-50 cutoff created late heartbreak. Brian Harman was hoping to break into the top 50 and even climbed to No. 51 briefly. However, after finishing T30 at the event, he dropped to No. 65 in the FedEx Cup standings. His No. 51 spot went to Keith Mitchell, who finished T34. The biggest beneficiary was Matt McCarty, who currently sits at No. 50 despite finishing T63.
As for the tournament itself, Scottie Scheffler registered his second victory of the 2026 season with an impressive eight-stroke lead over runner-up Si Woo Kim.
That being said, Spieth will have to try again next year. At 33, he still has plenty of time to rediscover his best form. If he can find his rhythm again, it will be interesting to see what the former World No. 1 can accomplish in 2027.