Jordan Spieth is eager to get himself back in contention with the best players in the world but admits he still has a ways to go in his return from wrist surgery as he prepares for this week's Masters Tournament.
"I set a goal that I was open about at Pebble Beach, which was to try and have a chance to win an event prior to the Masters," Spieth told reporters on Wednesday at Augusta National Golf Club.
"I've had a couple Sundays where I definitely could have done it. So I think (I'm) pretty good, all things considered. Still felt like I've been playing catch up, obviously."
Spieth underwent surgery in August on his left wrist, which had bothered him since at least May 2023.
He returned to action at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in early February and has been up and down since, tying for fourth at the WM Phoenix Open before missing the cut at The Genesis Invitational.
In four events since, he's finished as high as tied for ninth at the Cognizant Classic and as low as 59th the following week at The Players Championship.
He finished tied for 12th at last week's Valero Texas Open.
Spieth said his recovery has come at a time in his life when he is trying to "work smarter and not work harder," especially as he faces the reality of having player in fewer events than most of his competitors.
"Trying not to waste any shots during the day and stay committed to the process," said Spieth, 31.
"I just got to where I was bouncing around. Swing feels sometimes three times in a round for last year just trying to figure out how to get wrists in the right places and stuff like that."
Spieth, who won the Masters in 2015, said he still doesn't feel like he's back to the top of his game but looks at this week as an opportunity to get there.
"It's close, but it's not quite there yet. That doesn't mean that you don't find it through this week. I mean, when I started back up, it was a 10-year outlook, not an April of '25 outlook. It's a little too much to ask to feel I'm the best I've ever been coming off surgery," Spieth said.
"So I try to hit the fairway on No 1 tomorrow and then I try to hit the middle of the green, and I go from there."
A 13-time winner on the PGA Tour, Spieth has slipped to No 65 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
His last title came at the RBC Heritage in April 2022.