PGA Tour's Uninteresting Drama Issue, Brooks Koepka Earns More Respect, And Worrisome Times For Jordan Spieth

We had a PGA Tour event decided on the 72nd hole at TPC Craig Ranch, which is something the Tour itself and golf fans would sign up for on a week-to-week basis, but the drama that unfolded on Sunday wasn't all that interesting. This is something that is becoming a trend in the signature-event era of the PGA Tour.

On the other side of the planet in Singapore, Brooks Koepka found the winner's circle over on LIV Golf. Not only does the victory show that he's in form two weeks out from his PGA Championship defense, but it's a reminder that he still very much has the ability to win golf tournaments that aren't major championships.

Winning golf tournaments and Jordan Spieth, on the other hand, do not co-exist at the moment. After another missed cut at what was a home game for him at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, we've got to continue asking the question: what the hell is going on with Spieth?

Taylor Pendrith Wins The CJ Cup, And Nobody Outside Of Canada Will Care

Taylor Pendrith, the long-hitting Canadian, earned PGA Tour victory numero uno at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson with a birdie on the last. Ben Kohles all but gift-wrapped the win for Pendrith after becoming the only player in the entire field to bogey the 18th hole on Sunday, but Pendrith does deserve credit for making a birdie on the 72nd hole to win by one shot and avoid a playoff.

On the surface, a player making birdie on the final hole and his counterpart unfortunately suffering a choke session to close things out sounds interesting. But when that scenario unfolds between two players only diehard golf fans have ever heard of on an incredibly forgettable golf course, the nerves and drama simply aren't there.

Kohles making bogey was the latest reminder that winning on the PGA Tour is insanely hard and kudos to Pendrith for getting the job done, but those two things don't equate to exciting golf.

This is what is to be expected, however, when we're in this age of signature events on Tour combined with some of the game's biggest stars playing over on LIV. 

Just look at the first page of this week's leaderboard:

Even when signature events and LIV Golf weren't part of the equation, we would get leaderboards like this, but now that we've got an entirely different tour playing all over the world and the PGA Tour itself only incentivizing top players to play in signature events, major championships, and the FedEx Cup playoffs, these ‘off’ weeks are feeling more off than ever before.

The unfortunate reality is that there is no way to fix it given the current state of professional golf. The path to success for the PGA Tour is praying its biggest stars contend in signature events, major championships continue to do as they've always done and deliver the goods, and then hope golf fans have enough stamina to pretend to care about the playoffs at the end of the year.

Let's Talk About Jordan Spieth

Speaking of the PGA Tour praying, it's safe to say it was hoping to see Jordan Spieth play the weekend at TPC Craig Ranch, but that wasn't in the cards after an underwhelming 70 on Friday en route to an early trunk slam.

Spieth's 2024 campaign has been interesting, but not in a good way. After opening the year with a solo third at The Sentry, a T-6 in Phoenix, and then bizarrely signing for the wrong number at The Genesis to get disqualified, things have gone downhill in a hurry.

Spieth has made 11 starts this season and missed five cuts, with four of them coming over the course of his last six events. His missed cut at the Masters was a bit of a head scratcher, as was his T-39 at the RBC Heritage, but you add a missed cut at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and the cause for concern has officially hit an all-time high for Spieth.

It's unbelievable that this is a true statement, but Jordan Spieth has won just two golf tournaments since July 2017 when he hoisted the Claret Jug. Anyone who would have predicted that after his win at The Open would have been laughed at, but here we are.

Whether it be a potentially lingering wrist injury, simple burnout, or needing a change of scenery with caddie Michael Greller, something has got to give here.

Brooks Koepka Wins In Singapore And Deserves Every Bit Of Attention

Hmm, would you look at that? Brooks Koepka is trending in the right direction less than two weeks away from the opening round of the PGA Championship.

After essentially no-showing at the Masters and showing very real signs of frustration over the last month, some began questioning whether Koepka was in a good spot heading into the year's second major championship. Well, a two-shot win in Singapore answered those questions as he very clearly found something, especially with his putter, en route to his fourth win on LIV Golf.

Four is a significant number for Koepka as that is the same number of regular PGA Tour victories he won before making the move to the Saudi-backed circuit.

The chatter about Koepka not being able to flip the switch in regular tournaments has never been more quiet after his win in Singapore.

Going back to the number four, Koepka will be looking for his fourth PGA Championship win at Valhalla in two weeks. Not only does he appear to have regained some serious confidence, Valhalla fits his game, and he knows a thing or two about winning PGA Championships.