Jordan Spieth Missing Cut at Players Championship Is No Cause for Concern

Following a missed cut at The Players Championship, headlines ran wild for 21-year-old Jordan Spieth, putting emphasis on his struggling swing fundamentals and alignment.

However disconcerting as it may appear, Spieth fans should not fret. After winning the Masters championship and triggering the birth of perhaps another Tiger Woods and sports' next great rivalry with Rory McIlroy, the No. 2-ranked golfer in the world simply needs a minute to acclimate to his new status in the golfing world.

According to USA Today's Steve DiMeglio, Spieth described his Masters win as "the most incredible week of my life." Right now, he is still dealing with the exhaustion and shock that comes with a win of this magnitude.

To give you an idea of Spieth's life after winning the Masters, right after the tournament, Golf Digest's Alex Myers reported that Spieth spent two days in New York City and did "24 interviews in a 24-hour period."

It is not uncommon for a strong player to struggle after a career-altering victory. After current world No. 1 McIlroy won his first major (the 2011 U.S. Open), he took a month off from competitive golf and then did not contend at the Open Championship or the PGA Championship that year.

Missing the cut could in fact be the best way to prepare Spieth for the looming U.S. Open. After Friday's round at The Players, he acknowledged that his daily routines have not been the same since winning the Masters.

"I just have not worked hard enough since the Masters to have my game," Spieth said, according to Golf Channel's Randall Mell. "I sprayed it everywhere this week, and it was unlike me."

Even with the uncharacteristic play at The Players, since winning the Masters, Spieth's performance in the past few weeks suggests no reason for concern. He tied for 11th at RBC Heritage just days after his post-Masters New York City interview marathon, and then he was knocked out of the World Golf Championship Cadillac Match Play after playing three rounds of golf at 16 under par.

Spieth simply needs to get back to the work ethic and routine that helped him reach this point in his career. For a player with such fortitude, this should not prove difficult.