Jordan Spieth Practices at Oak Hill With Tape on His Wrist But No Visible Problems Hitting

The four-time major champion withdrew last week from his hometown event but appears to be ready for the PGA.
Jordan Spieth Practices at Oak Hill With Tape on His Wrist But No Visible Problems Hitting
Jordan Spieth Practices at Oak Hill With Tape on His Wrist But No Visible Problems Hitting /

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — For 75 minutes, Jordan Spieth went through the bag, leaving the driver 'til last before joining Jon Rahm for a leisurely stroll around Oak Hill Country Club.

Joined by caddie Michael Greller, swing instructor Cameron McCormick and longtime agent Jay Danzi, Spieth hit shot after shot off the 9th tee on the West Course.

The only outward signs of Spieth’s questionable left wrist came from white tape that was peering out above his golf glove and the black Kinesio tape, which is used for a variety of ailments, including treating pain from injuries.

Jordan Spieth hits balls on Tuesday at the PGA Championship with tape on an injured left wrist.
Black Kinesio tape was obvious on Jordan Spieth's left wrist Tuesday but he showed no ill effects while practicing :: Alex Miceli/Sports Illustrated

For most of the time, Spieth was jovial and talkative, shot after shot, with no visible issues with his wrist.

The one time the four-time major winner stopped himself over a shot was when the wind caught him off guard and pushed him from the back into the ball.

Masters champion Rahm was the other player utilizing the 9th tee and stopped to talk to Spieth after hitting balls, presumably to check on how he was doing, but then the two decided to play a practice round together.

Once they arrived on the first tee, they were greeted by a back-up that included Patrick Reed and Victor Perez and decided instead to cut across to the 10th tee. There, they watched Anirban Lahiri and one of the 20 club pros in the field, who introduced himself to Spieth and then pointed out that his female caddie was a big fan, which Spieth acknowledged.

Spieth was overheard saying he just wanted to play so he could look at the golf course and not to dissect it as he would at a normal major.

On the range, Spieth was discussing strategy regarding if he should put a 7-wood in the bag or not, which he presumably would have a better feel for after his nine-hole introduction to Oak Hill.

This week has a little more meaning because after winning the 2017 British Open at Royal Birkdale, the only major Spieth is missing for the career grand slam is the PGA Championship.


Published
Alex Miceli
ALEX MICELI

Alex Miceli, a journalist and radio/TV personality who has been involved in golf for 26 years, was the founder of Morning Read and eventually sold it to Buffalo Groupe. He continues to contribute writing, podcasts and videos to SI.com. In 1993, Miceli founded Golf.com, which he sold in 1999 to Quokka Sports. One year later, he founded Golf Press Association, an independent golf news service that provides golf content to news agencies, newspapers, magazines and websites. He served as the GPA’s publisher and chief executive officer. Since launching GPA, Miceli has written for numerous newspapers, magazines and websites. He started GolfWire in 2000, selling it nine years later to Turnstile Publishing Co.