Jordan Spieth is currently experiencing one of his best seasons in recent years. The three-time major champion made an impressive start to the 2025 PGA Tour, achieving four top-10 finishes, as well as his best major finishes in over two years (T14 at the Masters and T23 at the US Open). Nonetheless, his participation in this week’s Travelers Championship in Connecticut was abruptly halted as he had to withdraw, marking the first time in his career he has ever pulled out of a PGA Tour event due to an upper back injury.

Previously, Spieth had dealt with a wrist injury, undergoing surgery to restore his former performance. As he neared a potential spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, he spoke with CBS Sports’ Patrick McDonald about overcoming challenges associated with his wrist injury.

However, things took a turn during the tournament as Spieth withdrew after starting off with a 5-over through 12 holes, showing discomfort by grabbing his neck and dropping his club multiple times during the front nine.

While he had appeared optimistic arriving at the event, a flare-up in his neck during warmup proved problematic, and despite an attempt to continue playing, he found it too painful to persist. Spieth expressed regret about the incident:

“Everything was great in my gym session, and I’ve been very, very excited to go out and play,” said Spieth. “Things have been getting better and better when my [scapula] just kind of locked up… it just got worse.”

This incident marks the first time in 297 PGA Tour tournaments that Spieth has had to withdraw, highlighting the unpredictability of injuries.

Looking towards future events, including The Open Championship at Royal Portrush, Spieth remains hopeful of recovering and regaining health for the upcoming major while aiming for a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black.