MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Jordan Spieth’s last-minute commitment to play next week’s Wyndham Championship gave the regular-season finale a boost and the newly minted 26-year-old is hoping it will do the same for his postseason chances.
At 69th on the season-long points list, Spieth, who turned 26 on Saturday, is looking to climb that list next week in Greensboro, N.C., in his attempt to qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship for the first time since 2017.
“I would like to make East Lake, that's my goal now,” said Spieth following a third-round 66 at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. “That's why I decided to play next week as well. It's a tournament that I always want to play. With four playoff events in the past and then normally [the former World Golf Championship in Akron, Ohio], PGA and then there, I mean, it's too much.”
This season’s reworked schedule won’t be any easier if Spieth manages to play his way into the top 30 on the points list and qualify for the Tour Championship. If he does advance to East Lake that would mean he’d play six consecutive weeks.
“I've never played more than four in a row and I might be doing six in a row, but going home for some breaks in between,” he said. “East Lake's my No. 1 goal at this point, I really want to get back there. I didn't like missing that last year and coming in further behind this year than I was last year.”
Spieth was 43rd on the points list entering the playoffs last year and failed to post a top-10 finish in the first three postseason events to miss advancing to the Tour Championship for the first time in his career.