Jordan Spieth Seeks Elusive Career Grand Slam at PGA Championship

Still moving needle, Jordan Spieth aims to conquer inconsistency, secure career grand slam at PGA Championship

Spieth can join the most coveted fraternity in golf with a win this weekend

By Patrick McDonald

May 14, 2026 at 10:08 am ET • 4 min read

- - -

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. -- A popular talking point has emerged in recent years regarding needle movers in a niche sport such as golf. Are there any? With some big names departing for LIV Golf but perhaps not drawing the viewership one would expect from such names, the answer might be that there aren't many.

You could probably count them on one hand, and even that may be on the high side. When Matt Fitzpatrick or another top player has a late tee time on Sunday, they are expected to be there. It's almost like it is part of a golf fan's Sunday routine.

But that is built into the DNA of golf fans at this point. It's what they will do no matter who is in the mix late at a golf tournament.

It's those players who attract all the other sports fans that are true needle movers. The player who can make someone turn the channel from all the other sports happening this weekend -- NBA and NHL playoffs, along with the second leg of the triple crown in horse racing and the MLB regular season -- for a golf tournament that is, yes, a major championship but not to the same level as last month's Masters. That tournament stands on its own.

For better or for worse, that player is still Jordan Spieth. His name is the one uttered with both hope and exhaustion as fans wonder what lies around the corner.

Spieth goes for the career grand slam this week at Aronimink Golf Club just outside of Philadelphia. A man who was born and bred in Dallas, the three-time major champion would usually be hissed at around these parts, given his ties to the Lone Star State. Instead, he will be at the top of the list of those the fans in attendance want to see win.

They will carry him across the finish line if required.

And it may be required. Spieth is playing much better golf these days compared to a handful of years ago. With a nagging injury and procedure behind him, the fan favorite has found success in tournaments, predominantly on the second or third page of the leaderboard.

Every week, it seems like he's in between having a great performance and an average one. As such, he has been stuck with a lot of "good" results. He has just two wins since his 2017 Open Championship victory at Royal Birkdale, where the tournament returns later this summer.

Consistency -- as is expected with Spieth -- has been the culprit.

"If you look at the stats, yeah, it's a whack-a-mole situation," Spieth said. "Because I have had weeks where I'm leading in putting, weeks where I've leading in driving, weeks where I am leading in ball-striking, and then I just haven't been able to kind of put them all together, at least … haven't been able to lean on something on an off-day and not have something be a negative strokes that throws me out of a chance on any of those categories, right?

"So, the good news is, within this season, I've been able to lead in each, so I should be confident that I have at least each part of the game as a weapon. It's just focusing on the right things, putting it together, limiting the mistakes, and then when something feels a little bit off, managing to be able to shoot a couple under par versus a couple over par. It's pushing the low ones just a couple strokes lower and limiting the bad ones by a stroke or two. If I can shave off a stroke a round like anybody would like to, it's a big difference. But I think it's a little simpler for me this year than it has been in other years to feel like I could do that."

Major championships tend to test a player's floor. Windows open during the competition. Big par saves are required to stay afloat. Strategic thinking is more required to ensure one's dreams are not dashed. For as much fun as it is to watch players rattle off birdies and go on scoring tears, it's the other side of the equation that is often the answer to their prayers.

Spieth has shown the ceiling is still high in individual rounds, such as the one that shot him into contention at the Cadillac Championship, but he has not shown that the floor has been restored to what it was a decade ago. This week, he'll have no choice but to find that footing.

He'll be put in spots of bother, spots that would make even Houdini himself uncomfortable. Aronimink will do that to players.

But not all players are like Spieth. There has been no better escape artist in golf over the last year.

With escape artists, though, it can go either way: It can end in amazement or horror.

No matter which, though, you'll buy a ticket for the show and have your eyes glued to Spieth when he's on the big stage.

Join the Conversation comments

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/jordan-spieth-needle-mover-career-grand-slam-pga-championship/)._