Caddie Greller’s Notes From Spieth’s Final Round Are Impressive
Jordan Spieth gave his caddie Michael Greller big props for waking him up during Sunday’s challenging final round. Greller handed his boss a much needed pep talk to stem the free-fall that looked to doom Spieth’s attempts to convert a 3-shot lead after 54-holes.
There was at least one sports moron who questioned Spieth relying far too much on Greller’s support.
Spieth is the mentally toughest psychological mess in golf history. Never seen such a great player so dependent on caddie. Jordan Greller.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) July 23, 2017
Whatever. Merely more clickbait from the master of unsubstantiated hyperbole.
Anyway, Greller kept detailed notes from the round–including the bizarre 13th hole adventure.
Good stuff from the former high school teacher who arguably was the one who gambled and quit his day job to carry Jordan’s bag when he had zero Tour status as a rookie.
There’s also this from Greller following the incredible comeback.
“I just told him to go back to the tempo of the Travelers because it was really similar,” said Greller of the PGA Tour win recorded by Spieth in his previous outing before the season’s third major. “He was leading wire-to-wire and was having some tough things happening. It just so happens this was a major. He knows what to do. This was the 13th time he’s had the lead in a major, so it’s not like this was his first time in this situation. He was easy to work with. He’s matured a lot in the last six years since I met him. It wasn’t that difficult.
“He’s hurt a lot since that 2016 Masters, and I’m sure somewhere in there some doubts had crept in. He just said, ‘You know what, I know how to do this’. He’s done it twice before and now three times. It was just cool to see him with his back against the wall, more than at Augusta in 2016. To do what he did just shows his character and his grit.”
That grit was refreshingly showcased after Spieth was leaking oil at +4 thru 13 before going 5-under on the remaining five holes (allegedly, no one has accomplished that in a final major round to win).
Even legendary caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay (now broadcasting for NBC) thought Greller’s yardage on 13 was one for the history books.
“You could make the argument that was the most critical yardage ever given to a player in the history of golf,” Mackay, who now works as an on-course reporter for NBC Sports, said Tuesday on “Morning Drive”.
“Jordan is off the grid there, and Michael, once they found the ball, had to go to the top of the dune, he’s got to eyeball it back to the ball, he’s got to eyeball it toward the green, add it up, and give it to his man with hopefully the right line. If he gets that wrong, and the ball goes into a bunker or into a gorse bush, they are in a lot of trouble.
“What Michael did there, in his little piece, because obviously he’s not hitting the shot, is one of the most amazing things a caddie has ever done.”
The rest you can say is history as both player and caddie made wise choices to partner up.
