GREENSBORO, N.C. – Jordan Spieth hasn’t known quite what to do with himself this week at the Wyndham Championship.

His newborn son, Sully, is back home in Texas with sister Sophie and brother Sam. That means there are no diapers to change. No toddlers clamoring for him to go swimming with them, either. His “rock-star” wife is doing all the heavy lifting while dad gets back to work.

Spieth has taken five of the last six weeks off since becoming a father of three. But while he may be at loose ends when he gets back to the hotel, the three-time major champion was in his element at Sedgefield Country Club on Thursday, opening with a 65 that left him in a tie for eighth.

“I feel like my game's been in a good spot, I just haven't been playing tournament rounds and really rounds in general,” Spieth said on the eve of the Wyndham. “I had some rust at The Open and hopefully kicked a lot of it off, and if we can get off in a nice stretch here in hopefully a four-week stretch for me.”

On Thursday, Spieth’s game was a work in progress, showing some of the same kind of rust he saw at Royal Portrush. He only hit 7 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens in regulation. The flat stick was a plus, though, as he ranked third in strokes gained putting.

Granted, there were a few good breaks, too, like the 46-footer he holed at the 14th hole, which was the second of three straight birdies that kickstarted his round. But overall, he felt like things were moving in the right direction.

“I think would have gone off the green if it didn't go in and that would have been in a tough spot to even go up and down so call that a two and a half shot break just on a putt,” Spieth said. “So my speed control was pretty average, but when I got uphill putts I knocked 'em in.

“I mean, everything was OK. I didn't drive the ball particularly well until the last five or six holes. Same with my iron play, was really the last seven holes or so. So I was kind of just a little bit off to start. I didn't have a great warmup this morning, and it kind of translated, but it was nice to hang in there, get some breaks on the greens and be a couple under while I wasn't really, really feeling very good about my game.

“Then I started to kind of get in a nice rhythm to finish and hopefully carry that into the rest of the week.”

Spieth came to Greensboro ranked 50th in the FedExCup, safely in the Playoffs but looking to extend his run and improve his status for the 2026 season. The top 50 players in the FedExCup standings at the end of next week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship are fully exempt for next year, including THE PLAYERS Championship and the eight Signature Events.

“It's a big reason why I'm here,” Spieth said. “When I sat out, I moved from 38th to 39th all the way down to 48th, essentially just by not playing. So it would be nice to have a huge boost this week and not have to worry about it next week, but I'm fully prepared to have some stress next week on that 50 number, and ideally, a good start this week or next week really takes a lot of that off.

“So the way to have a good start is to not think about it and just play the way I've been playing, but obviously that's an added element that I don't want to have to have that I do have and it's just part of this year.”

Spieth certainly doesn’t regret the time at home, though. It was different this time around – his first two children were born in the fall, when he doesn’t traditionally play much. But as the 32-year-old has settled into dad duty, he’s learned how to budget his time.

“It's been awesome, I haven't felt restricted by any means,” Spieth said. “It's just trying to, trying to be the best golfer in the world while still being super involved at home means those are my two priorities. I don't have any hobbies, I don't have a lot of veg time, I don't watch shows.

“This week's kind of a weird one, I'm going back and like I don't know what to do with myself. I've got to figure out what I'm going to go eat, I've got to figure out what I'm going to do with a few hours before bed. It's just I wish I was able to be home to help out, but this rest is probably a good thing if I'm shaping up for a nice run here.”

Spieth, who lost to Patrick Reed in a playoff at the 2013 Wyndham, is focused on making a strong stretch run. But if that doesn’t happen, he’s excited about what 2026 – and beyond – will bring.

“Next year's going to be a really good year for me, I can feel it,” Spieth said. “It's all coming along. I'll be healthy, and just structurally putting, the mechanics are all getting really, really close. One good offseason should get me nailed down to where I could be as good as I've been. That's my goal.”