Jordan Spieth plays two rounds at Hero World Challenge with cracked driver face

Jordan Spieth’s frustrating week at the Hero World Challenge took a dramatic twist on Saturday when broadcasters revealed the three-time major champion had unknowingly played the opening two rounds with a cracked driver face.

Spieth, who has been gaming a Titleist TSR2 driver, only discovered the issue with his team after carding rounds of 72 and 73 on Thursday and Friday. 

The 32-year-old, who has been an official Titleist staffer since 2013, immediately switched to a fresh model for the third round — still a TSR2 head, 10° loft dialled to 9.25°, paired with a Fujikura Ventus Black 6X shaft.

And the change seemed to make a difference, at least in terms of score. 

Did the new driver actually help Spieth? The numbers say yes, just about... 

Thursday (cracked face)

• Fairways hit: 10/13
• Average driving distance: 317 yards
• R1 Score: 72

Friday (cracked face)

• Fairways hit: 9/13
• Average distance: 308 yards
• R2 Score: 73

Both days show a dip in distance and only modest accuracy on the giant fairways of Albany — hardly ideal when you’re chasing the world’s best in a 20-man elite field.

Saturday (new driver)

• Fairways hit: 12/13
• Average distance: 288 yards
• R3 Score: 70

While the yardage dropped significantly, Spieth was clearly more confident finding grass rather than waste areas, and his round of 2-under 70 marked his best of the week.

Another week to forget this season

Cracked driver drama aside, this week has been another tough chapter in Spieth’s stagnant 2025 season. 

Spieth is making his first competitive start this week since finishing T38 at the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis in mid-August. 

That result saw him miss out on the final two events of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs at the BMW Championship and Tour Championship.

This week, things aren't much better. 

Spieth lies 1-under par and second-last in the 20-man field, with only Chris Gotterup faring worse at 5-over par. 

The American will start Sunday 16 shots behind leader Sepp Straka at 17-under par, with runaway World No.1 Scottie Scheffler lurking one back and eyeing a historic third straight victory in Tiger Woods’ annual tournament. 

Scheffler was fuming after the third round, especially with one reporter's question. 

For Spieth though, lacklustre performances are becoming all too familiar for his fans.  

The American's last win came at the RBC Heritage in April 2022, and while he did post four top-10s this season, they barely mask the broader decline. 

Spieth's major record in 2025 was equally forgettable, with a lone bright spot being a T14 at The Masters.

A career grand slam remains agonisingly out of reach — Spieth still needs the PGA Championship. 

Today, the former World No.1 sits 70th in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) — a far cry from his dominant mid-2010s peak.

Spieth also missed out on the United States Ryder Cup team this season, marking his first absence from the biennial contest since 2012. 

Injuries continue to shadow his game

While the results aren’t there, Spieth does have mitigating circumstances. 

He’s been managing persistent wrist issues for the past two seasons and underwent left wrist surgery in August 2024 — just after the FedEx St. Jude Championship — to repair a nerve issue that has plagued him since May 2023.

Spieth's comeback began at the 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at the end of January, and since then he has also battled bouts of neck and back pain to add to his frustration. 

He will no question be looking to work hard on his game and fitness during the off-season, and come back firing how we all know and love in 2026. 

Woods watches on as return takes shape

The Hero World Challenge is once again being held for a 10th straight year at the stunning Albany layout in The Bahamas. 

The end-of-season tournament may be unofficial on the PGA Tour, but the field quality and spotlight are always major-level.

Woods, the event’s host, sadly isn’t teeing it up this week.

• Bombshell update on Tiger's return

The 15-time major winner confirmed to reporters on Tuesday he has been cleared to chip and putt following October’s seventh back surgery, on top of surgery for a ruptured left Achilles in March.

There’s growing optimism Woods could return in March for the tail end of the TGL schedule, which might then lead to starts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players Championship, and — if everything breaks right — the 2026 Masters.

Wouldn't it be just great to see both Jordan and Tiger firing on all cylinders again next season.