We need Jordan Spieth to Shine

Golf needs Jordan Spieth to win, win regularly and win majors.  But more importantly, we need Jordan Spieth to win.  Jordan Spieth is the kind of hero we need right here, right now.  But who is Jordan Spieth?

Jordan Spieth is 23 years old, born in 1993 in Dallas, Texas.  His parents are both former college athletes and Jordan grew up playing golf, football, basketball, baseball and soccer.  At age 9 he mowed a spot in the his family’s lawn as short as he could to practice his putting.  He won the U.S. Junior Amateur at age 16 and age 18, joining Tiger Woods as the only two time U.S. Junior Amateur champion.  At age 17, Jordan was invited to play in the PGA Tour event, The Byron Nelson Championship and finished 16th.  He enrolled at the University of Texas and was named College Player of the Year as a freshman leading the Longhorns to the NCAA National Championship.  At age 19 he was Low Amateur in the 2012 U.S. Open and at year’s end he turned pro.

Since turning pro Jordan has tasted much success, winning both the Masters and the U.S. Open and being ranked Number 1 in the world for a time.  More recently however he has struggled a bit by his standards, having blown a big lead in last year’s Masters and finishing 37th, 30th and 12th in the other 3 Majors.  He helped the United States win the Ryder Cup last fall but seemingly lost his swing for most of the year.

As good as Jordan Spieth is as a player when on top of his game, his excellence is not why we need him right now.  When Tiger Woods was golf’s hero it was all about his greatness as a player and our fascination with his astounding ability.  That’s not why we need Jordan Spieth right now.  So why do we need him?  We need Jordan Spieth to be our hero because of his sister, his caddie and his heart.

Ellie Spieth, who is 16 years old, was born prematurely, with a still undiagnosed neurilogical disorder that has left her developmentally challenged.  But she remains the brightest star in the Spieth household and Jordan Spieth’s hero.  When people tell Jordan how much they admire his devotion to his sister he replies, “You might as well compliment me for not robbing the bank.  Loving Ellie is the most natural thing in the world and she is my hero.”  Ellie doesn’t care if Jordan wins or loses, she just loves him.  Life in all of its fullness is seen by Jordan Spieth through the lens of Ellie Spieth and it’s keeps him humble, respectful and appreciative.

Michael Grellar was a 6th grade math teacher in Washington State when in 2006 he was watching the U.S. Public Links Championship at Gold Mountain Country Club near his Gig Harbor home.  Having played NAIA golf in college, Michael offered to carry the bag of a player he saw carrying his own bag, Matt Savage of Florida State.  Savage advanced to the quarterfinals of the championship and never forgot Grellar’s kindness.  When the U.S Amateur was played at Chambers Bay in 2010 Savage recommended Grellar to Justin Thomas as his caddie and when the U.S. Junior Amateur came to Gold Mountain in 2011, Thomas recommended Grellar to 18 year old Jordan Spieth and together they won the U.S. Junior Amateur.  Ironically, on the first hole that Grellar caddied for Spieth he gave Jordan bad information forgetting that they had started on the 10th hole instead of the 1st.  They have been together ever since, Grellar leaving his $55,000 per year teaching job supplemented by caddie fees at local courses in exchange for making over $2,100,000.00 as Jordan’s caddie in 2015.  At age 39, Michael is able to keep Spieth grounded and focused when together they face difficult times.

But most importantly we need Jordan Spieth to succeed because of Jordan Spieth.  He is a great athlete.  He throws left handed but he swings right handed.  As he says, “because that’s how my dad did it.”  But it’s not Jordan’s athletic prowess that makes Jordan special.  It’s his heart.  It’s how he lives his life and how he works hard to be the best he can be.

Jordan Spieth does not have a naturally fluid or perfect golf swing.  When Tiger Woods was at his best his swing looked effortless.  But Jordan has to work at his swing mechanics and he has to work at the game just like you and me.  He gets out of rhythm and fights to keep the ball from hooking or hanging to the right.  Spieth does not hit the ball as far as the really big hitters on the PGA Tour.  He is a terrific putter but even his putting excellence is not so much mechanical as it is his will.  Jordan works his way around a golf course in the same way a great chess player wins a match or Greg Maddox pitches a shutout.  He does it with guile and grit and the person he is is the reason he wins.

Jordan Spieth is grounded in the security of the unconditional love of his family, in the incredible relationship he has with his sister Ellie, in the depth of his friendship with his caddie and in the comfort of his faith in Jesus Christ.  Jordan is driven by a desire to be the best and by a competitive spirit developed by playing other sports on a high level.  Jordan Spieth is the perfect hero.  He is humble and bold.  On the course he wants to win as much if not more than anyone else, but he never forgets that other people are more important than he is and that love is the most powerful force in the universe.  We desperately need a hero to step forward who is humble because he is secure in who he is and who cares more about the people around him than he does about his own ego.  Jordan Spieth is that kind of man.