Where is Jordan Spieth? A looming question has circulated over the past few months, especially since golf’s once Golden Child saw his ranking slip. Last seen at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the Texan has not officially teed up anywhere. He occasionally makes an appearance at out-of-the-box places, keeping his fans on the edge, but that is pretty much it. Does he not care anymore about the sport? To many, it seems like it.

A user on X was quite direct when sharing this anxiety. Tagging the player’s official fan account, they said, “@SpiethLegion We are in real danger of falling out of the Top 60 and getting in the first 2 sigs next year. On the number right now.” Almost like on a cue, the account, which calls itself “The #1 Jordan Spieth Fan Community” with almost 20k followers, replied, “Correct, but I think this is something he came to terms with since he hasn’t played the fall swing.”

A blunt response, but not coated without a touch of reality. Jordan Spieth’s complete absence from the fall swing has now placed him at the mercy of other players’ ranks on the field. Currently, he is sitting at 61st on the Fall Standings. He was 57th after the Butterfield Bermuda Championship and fell to 58th, eventually. Now, with the RSM Classic going on, he has officially crossed the Top-60 threshold, with other players below him moving up in the ranks due to their contentions.

This fall is going to directly affect him as the 2026 season approaches. Players who are ranked 51-60 on the Fall Standings will be a part of the Aon Next 10, which means they will earn an automatic spot in the Signature Events like the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational. Both of these come with $20 million prize pool and at least 700 FedExCup points, the latter of which Spieth should not have ignored. But he did.

He has fallen to 61st and, as per the rules, will not earn the qualification. Players like Nico Echavarria (currently 60th) and Rico Hoey (57th) are playing at Sea Island, collecting good points on the leaderboards. This has pushed them up, while Spieth, who sits at home, will likely fall further down, as one user notes: “This is how you know it’s just not important to him any longer- it’s a shame.”

If one were to defend him, there were reasons for his continued absence after August. He had wrist surgery, which has been bothering him since 2017. The pain lingered, inflamed further in 2023, prompting him to finally take matters into his hands last year. The treatment reconstructed his tendon and changed his playing style. For a second, it seemed to work as he secured a T4 at the WM Phoenix upon his return. But then he contracted neck spasms.

On top of this, he welcomed his third child, Sully, in July. That could be another reason for his absence. While on the surface it might be justified, in all practicality, Spieth cannot afford such a hiatus. Sure, marquee players do skip Fall events, for instance, Scottie Scheffler, who is also on a hiatus. But that’s a day and night comparison, because he is the world’s No. 1 player. Spieth, on the other hand, had his last major come in 2017 at The Open, and his last PGA Tour win was at the 2022 RBC Heritage. Since 2023, there has been no consistency, and as harsh as it sounds, he is now edging onto the grounds of mediocrity.

As Andy Johnson said recently, “The most interesting player in the Aon Next 10 is just saying, nah. I’ll take my whole off-season…” Why? “…because I know the safety nets of this uncompetitive tour.”

Is Jordan Spieth all calm, unbothered, and relaxed because he knows he is going to get a call once the new season starts? A call for him to play as a sponsor’s exemption, the biggest scrutiny the player is facing as of now. And with Spieth’s continued absence, he is not helping his case either.

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The “safety nets” for Jordan Spieth

In 2025, for instance, Spieth received five sponsors’ exemptions, along with Rickie Fowler, who received six without finishing inside the top 50. As per current PGA Tour rules, each of the Sig Events has four such exemptions. Spieth, who is well-liked, has often been at the mercy. However, none of it went to waste, as he collected 254 points from them, which is nearly 30% of his regular-season total. Moreover, he does help in drawing a large crowd, the reason he gets exemptions in the first place.

But what he has also drawn immense criticism for is the same.

Fried Egg Golf’s Andy Johnson said it aptly, “When you provide a spot, a back door like that, it’s almost a double impact. He gets into the events that don’t really need him…” On the other hand, when a ninth signature event was announced for the 2026 season, instead of adding competitiveness, several players took it as an opportunity to jump on Spieth. “So does that mean one more sponsor invite for Jordan Spieth? Tell Spieth I’ll play him for any amount he wants. I win, I get his five invites to the signature events,” said Robert Garrigus.

Maybe they’re right. Spieth will always receive exemptions. He will always draw crowds. But there are always limits. How long can he go like this? It is a question golf’s Golden Child should ask himself.