McKinney — A popular local will be missing from the field when the 55th annual Byron Nelson Tournament begins this week at TPC Craig Ranch.
Dallas native and three-time major champion Jordan Spieth has announced he will not be playing in this week’s tournament, citing wrist pain in a statement made on social media.
“Over the weekend, I had severe pain in my left wrist and had doctors confirm an injury that requires rest and limited movement, ” Spieth began. “The AT&T Byron Nelson means the absolute world to me and I’m disappointed to miss it this week. Playing in front of family and friends in Dallas is one of the highlights of my year, and the tournament staff and volunteers are second to none.”
“I look forward to being back next year and many years after,” he continued. “I’m focused on healing as quickly as possible and will have to evaluate my recovery week to week …”
Spieth is the 10th-ranked golfer in the world entering the weekend and was scheduled to meet with the media on Wednesday. He made his pro debut as a 16-year-old at the Byron Nelson in 2010 and has competed in the event 11 times, including a second-place finish against K.H. Lee last year.
Even without Spieth participating, there is still plenty of representation from the host state of the tournament — including Dallas resident and World No.2 Scottie Scheffler and twin brothers Pierceson and Parker Coody from Plano.
“My first start — my first PGA TOUR as an amateur was here, so this tournament means a lot to me,” Pierceson Coody said as the brothers met with the media on Tuesday. “They gave me an opportunity to come play in front of my friends as an amateur, which as a high schooler, college kid, you saw Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth do stuff like that, so it was a dream come true, and now to come back as a pro, it’s awesome. I have great memories of just being here for the first time, and looking forward to having a great week.”
While Pierceson has played at the Byron Nelson in the past, this year will be Parker’s first time competing in the event.
“Very fortunate to be out here this week,” he told the media when asked about making his debut. “Couldn’t be a better tournament for Pierceson and I both to be able to play together at AT&T Byron Nelson, a tournament we’ve been so close to for so long, and to finally be able to play this week for my first time and Pierceson’s second time, couldn’t thank everyone enough for allowing that to happen.”
The rest of the field includes some of the PGA’s biggest names, such as Jason Day, Adam Scott, and Hideki Matsuyama.
The AT&T Byron Nelson begins Thursday, May 11 and continues through the final round on Sunday, May 14.
