Making the Case for Jordan Spieth to Complete the Career Grand Slam

“If I could only win one tournament for the rest of my life, I’d pick this one.”

Contrary to several of his previous attempts, Jordan Spieth’s ninth crack at the career Grand Slam has garnered some serious attention ahead of this week’s 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. 

{{related-articles/right}}

“I just feel like I’ve been asked about it more than other years…” Spieth noted on Tuesday. 

At Quail, which also played host to the 2017 PGA Championship, he’ll look to become just the seventh player in the history of men’s professional golf to complete the career slam and join Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen. McIlroy’s transcendent win at Augusta National last month dismissed a steady wave of criticism and attention, some of which will now be passed onto Spieth, who, unlike McIlroy, hasn’t exactly been that close to conquering golf’s toughest challenge. 

Spieth, a three-time major champion, has largely been a non-factor in major championship golf for the better part of seven years. After the rapid acceleration of his career in his early 20s, he’s struggled to sustain the magical momentum he once had, and has frequently found himself searching for the remnants of his younger game. In true Jordan Spieth fashion, he has certainly had his moments that snatch our attention and make us contemplate whether he’s “back,” but he’s never truly made his way back to the top of the game. Yet, a surgically repaired wrist, streak of somewhat promising finishes, and some motivation from watching his contemporary McIlroy get the monkey off his back seem to have injected some vitality back into Spieth’s game. 

{{inline-article}}

The big question now is not whether he still has the talent to pull out another major win, but whether Spieth’s oft-erratic game can pass a stern test of golf for four consecutive rounds. His 2025 season, however, has at least lent a bit of promise in that sense. By no means has it been a spectacular season for Spieth, but it’s been a relatively consistent, steady year that has instilled some life back into his major championship hopes. Five top 15s and just one missed cut should be enough for Spieth to feel at least content with the state of his game entering the biggest tournament on his annual calendar. 

Feeling Lucky? Join our 2025 PGA Championship Pool

Spieth’s encouraging results are largely due to an improved driving ability, which gives him a real shot both this week at Quail Hollow and in future longer, more penal major setups.

“Nowadays…because of my driver becoming a weapon more than it used to be, that leaves me in a position where I feel a little more comfortable on these courses,” said Spieth.

He’s quietly crept up near the top 50 on Tour in driving distance, and has gained strokes off the tee in five straight events and 13 (!) straight majors. He’s still not going to bring a course to its knees with his power, but, aside from the occasional Spieth-esque foul ball, his driver is no longer working against him  Driving it long and straight will essentially be a prerequisite for true contention this week, and Spieth is well equipped to answer the rather monotonous, repetitive question that Quail Hollow asks off the tee. 

Even if he continues to drive the ball effectively, his hopes of contention will likely rest on the shoulders of his wildly unpredictable approach play. Spieth has already found himself in the top 10 of Strokes Gained: Approach in three separate tournaments this year, but has found the bottom 10 equally as often. The enormous, speedy greens at Quail Hollow will allow for less approach variance than a normal course, but a good week with the irons is necessary for Spieth to have any chance at taking home the Wanamaker Trophy. Gone are the days of Spieth’s supernatural putter, leaving his inconsistencies nowhere to hide, especially at a major. 

It’ll undoubtedly be a strange week for Spieth. He hasn’t really been under this close of an examination in a while, and it feels like ages since he was one of the prominent storylines heading into a big event. The comparisons to Rory’s unburdening win at the Masters are fair, but it’s a different type of attention Spieth will be receiving this week. His Grand Slam quest is filled with more hope rather than expectation, and more anticipation than pressure. Spieth might not be the favorite, and he might not even have a serious shot at contention, but he has a chance. As we know, sometimes that’s all Jordan Spieth needs.