Jordan Spieth

Spieth was maddingly inconsistent in 2022-23. He had solid chances to win at the API, Valspar, Masters and RBC Heritage early in the season, but was largely a non-factor over the last several months. Spieth's putting was better than he showed in 2021-22, but 76th is still not what we expect from a guy that has made more big putts than just about anyone over the last decade. His short game is always going to be among the best in the world, but he needs to find consistency with the ball-striking to get back to his winning ways. Consistent or not, Spieth is probably still able to post enough high finishes to land him in a similar position in earnings in 2024.

Spieth has had extremely good seasons and very poor seasons to his lofty standards, but 2021-22 nets out right about in the middle. He finished runner-up at Pebble Beach before adding a victory a couple months later at the RBC Heritage in a playoff over Patrick Cantlay. In his next start at the Byron Nelson he shot 25-under-par and lost by one to K.H. Lee. Other than a sniff on Sunday at the Scottish Open, those were really the only times Spieth found himself in contention to win. Even more disappointing was his play in the majors, which probably collectively was the worst of his career. The full swing seems to be figured out after some changes prior to last season, now it's about getting that putter back to being a weapon. It's so hard to overcome constantly missing putts inside of five feet, especially for a player that wears his emotions on his sleeves like Spieth does. It still seems more likely than not that the 13-time PGA Tour winner finds his way back to the top at some point, he's just too talented not to.

What a difference a year can make. Heading into the 2020-21 season, many were wondering if Spieth would ever resemble the player who tore through the PGA Tour in his early-20s, but it was clear early that Spieth was back. He didn't reach the heights of his 2015 or 2017 seasons, but he certainly resembled that guy at times. Spieth appears primed to get back to that guy once again and as such, he makes for an intriguing salary cap option this season. His number is set really high, but he might be worth a shot.

Spieth set the bar so high early in his career that it's almost impossible for him to live up to expectations. With that said, the bar has gradually slipped in recent years and suddenly everyone gets excited when he's simply in contention. Spieth has shown signs of his old self over the past couple seasons, but he simply can't put four rounds together. He'll get it figured out at some point and as long as his cap number stays this low, there's no reason to leave him off your salary cap team this year.

What a wild and ultimately frustrating season for Jordan Spieth. Spieth at times looked completely lost and at others, he actually looked pretty good. The problem with that however is that the times he looked good, were generally followed by rounds where he looked lost. He never found any tracking last season and although he did have a decent little run in August, the season as a whole was not a success. The jury is still out on how good Spieth can be, but it's safe to say that even if he's not as good as the multiple major winner that we saw a few years ago, he's certainly better than the guy we saw last season. As such, he's a must have in salary cap leagues this season.

Perhaps the most disappointing $2.7 million-plus season in the history of the PGA Tour. For most guys, his 2017-2018 numbers would be more than acceptable, but for Spieth, it's a complete disaster. Prior to last season, Spieth averaged over four top-2s per season. Last season, he didn't have a single top-2. Most of the blame can be attributed to his putting. Since joining the PGA Tour in 2013, Spieth has been an elite putter. Last season, he wasn't even an average putter, he was just flat-out a poor putter. He ended the season ranked 136th on the PGA Tour in strokes-gained putting. Now for the good news, he's absolutely going to bounce back this season. He's too talented and too strong between the ears to let this linger. He'll figure out his putter in the off-season and be back to challenging for majors before you know it. He's a must-have in salary cap formats and he's still a first-rounder in draft formats.

Spieth picked up his third career major at the Open Championship last summer, and at that specific point in time, he was again the best player on the planet. He lost that title before the end of the season by the slimmest of margins as Justin Thomas was just too much. Though he failed to win the FedEx title or complete the career grand slam, it was a fantastic year for Spieth. Not only did he pick up his third major, but he won two other events, which pushed his career total to 11. Spieth is one of a few guys that can be considered for salary cap purposes because he's already posted a season more than $12 million in earnings. That said, $9.4 million is a price to pay for anyone in today's PGA Tour.

What might have been for Spieth last year if he'd just managed a par or a bogey on the 12th at Augusta on Sunday. Maybe he takes the momentum of another Masters victory and goes on another fantastic run. Maybe he pulls-in his fourth career major. Who knows? As it is, Spieth still had a very productive season, just not up to his standards though. Spieth was one of only six golfers to surpass the $5 million mark last season, yet like many in front of him, without a major, it was a disappointment. With that in mind, Spieth looks like a decent salary cap option this year. In draft leagues, he'll go between the first and fourth picks.

What sophomore jinx? Spieth had no problems backing-up his outstanding rookie season last year, but he did slow towards the end of his second season. With that said, he was still one of the top players during the 2014 season and the future looks even brighter for Spieth this year. Spieth has the talent to top the money list this season, but he'll have to maintain a high-level of play throughout the season in 2015, something he was unable to do last year. With another year of experience under his belt, Spieth should reach career highs in earnings and wins in 2015. He's a solid salary cap option this year and should go in the first round in draft leagues.

Jordan Spieth took the PGA Tour by storm in 2013 and this might finally be a case of a guy living up to his huge potential. Where many before him have faltered, Spieth took all the hype and made everyone believe in greatness again. Golf is not an easy sport to thrive in when all the attention is focused on you, Tiger Woods is an obvious exception, but for every Tiger, there are 10 guys who couldn't live up to the hype. Spieth is off to a great start, but the challenge now is to keep up the pace and even improve upon it. Spieth looks like that special player that comes along only every so often. With that said, he's a legit top-10 pick in drafts and a decent option in salary cap leagues.