Jordan Spieth ignores caddie's smart advice and makes birdie from rough at Memorial
That's not how Spieth operates.
'It's really hard to get me to chip out,' Spieth said after he opened with a hard-earned round of even-par 72 at Muirfield Village. 'I chip out maybe less than anyone else that's every played the game of golf.
'It's demoralizing enough that I'll make a terrible decision not to.'
That's what he faced Thursday on the par-5 fifth hole after a tee shot that hit a tree and bounced slightly backward, creating a lie that went against the long blades of grass and left him a lie that was close to impossible.
What to do?
No commentary is necessary. Spieth provides that on his own.
'If it gets to the fairway, I can make 4,' he told Michael Greller, the caddie who has worked with him since the U.S. Junior in 2011. 'Versus do I still make 5 if I can't get it to the fairway.'
The fairway was only 115 yards away — the lie was that bad. They reasoned that if he didn't carry it to the fairway, he'd have to lay up again because of water in front of the green. Spieth still figured he could get that up-and-down for par.
As he settled over the shot, Greller made one last pitch: 'Why don't you hit it right there?' he said to Spieth, indicating a chip-out to the left.
'I don't want to hit it right there,' Spieth said. 'Because I'm hitting good shots, and they're getting absolutely boned so far, so I can't accept it.'
No one can fault Greller for trying to talk some safe sense into him, and this wasn't the first time. Spieth is aware of that.
'His hands are tied on some of those,' Spieth after his round, and then revisited that shot on the fifth hole. 'I didn't think I was going to be able to reach the fairway, and I talked him into … I could still make par either way. The reality was eight of 10 (times), I'm not going to cover. I should punch it out.'
Thursdays
Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.
He hammered it. The ball caught the first cut and barely made it back to the fairway. That left him 128 yards to the hole, and his third shot was 25 feet below the hole.
Spieth holed the putt, of course.
'It actually got to the fairway and I made birdie,' he said, 'which doesn't help the whole cause.'
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
Gaudreau Family 5K raises more than $500,000 for accessible playground at special education school
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The first 5K held in the memory of John and Matt Gaudreau helped raise more than $500,000, enough to break ground later this year on an accessible playground at the special education school where the hockey players' mother works. Thousands attended the Gaudreau Family 5K Walk /Run and Family Day in May at Washington Lake Park in southern New Jersey, a place John and Matthew went hundreds of times as kids and around the corner from Hollydell Ice Arena, where they started playing hockey. The 5K drew more than 1,100 participants in the walk, along with more than 1,100 virtually in the U.S., Canada and around the world.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Gaudreau Family 5K raises more than $500,000 for accessible playground at special education school
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The first 5K held in the memory of John and Matt Gaudreau helped raise more than $500,000, enough to break ground later this year on an accessible playground at the special education school where the hockey players' mother works. Thousands attended the Gaudreau Family 5K Walk /Run and Family Day in May at Washington Lake Park in southern New Jersey, a place John and Matthew went hundreds of times as kids and around the corner from Hollydell Ice Arena, where they started playing hockey. The 5K drew more than 1,100 participants in the walk, along with more than 1,100 virtually in the U.S., Canada and around the world. From money raised in the walk, along with contributions made in memory of John and Matt, the financial goal was met for the planned accessible playground at Archbishop Damiano School, where Jane Gaudreau and her daughter Kristen work. It was a cause John and Matthew had begun to champion in honor of their grandmother Marie, who spent 44 years at the school and died in 2023. Groundbreaking is scheduled for late August/early September, with Oct. 4 tentatively set for the start of a community build. After a brief scare of a tornado watch the night before, the 5K went off without a hitch. 'Because of the rain, we had so many people we thought might not show up,' Gaudreau said. 'But I felt like it was such a great turnout. So many people asked us if we're going to do it again next year. It just such an outpouring of love and care, so much for the boys in our family.' To answer the question, yes: The next Gaudreau Family 5K Walk is tentatively scheduled for May 16, 2026. The Gaudreau brothers — John played 10 full seasons in the NHL with Calgary and Columbus — were killed last August on the eve of their sister's wedding when they were hit by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey. The playground initiative was launched by principal Michele McCloskey in October 2020. Raising the necessary funds over the last five years had been a slow build. So many friends from the hockey world and others now inspired by the brothers and the cause have since rallied around the effort. 'We heard so much from everyone how much they appreciated everything (the brothers) did for the community, and so they turned around and helped us out,' Gaudreau said. 'We heard a lot of nice stories, a lot of people were just so generous, just wanting to be there for our family and whatever they could do to keep John and Matty's legacy alive, which is what we wanted from the playground and to go forward from here.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The Gaudreaus and the staff at Archbishop Damiano threw themselves into fundraising for a modern playground that allows for everything from basic wheelchair accessibility to ramps and transfer platforms for the students. Students tacked their wish list for the playground to the walls inside the school. The 5K event also included an online memorabilia auction that stretched beyond hockey, with all proceeds donated toward the playground effort and its original $600,000 goal. The new area for the playground has been staked out and the equipment has been ordered, yet there is still work ahead. The Gaudreaus and the school needed everything from 175 tons of crushed concrete to beach sand to other construction materials to complete the project.'It's just planning out our community build, which we'll need assistance on,' Gaudreau said. Archbishop Damiano School was founded in 1968 for children with Down syndrome and now provides services for 125 students with special needs from ages 3 to 21. Jane Gaudreau's brother attended the school and their mother worked there. Jane was hired in 1984 and is still a finance associate. Kristen, the older daughter, has taught at the school for almost two decades. Katie, the younger daughter, who got married in July, used to assist with the kids when she could, and the two Gaudreau boys volunteered at the school when they weren't playing hockey. ___ AP NHL:
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Wrexham signs former England defender Conor Coady from Leicester
WREXHAM, Wales (AP) — Wrexham signed defender Conor Coady from Leicester as it reshapes its squad to cope with promotion to the second-tier Championship. Coady brings 198 games' worth of Premier League experience and 10 appearances for the English national team. He was part of England's squad at the last World Cup in 2022 but didn't play. 'I'm over the moon. It's a special day, I'll be honest,' the 32-year-old defender said in a club statement. 'We've all seen what the club has done over the past few years and for me to join is really special and I can't wait to meet the boys and get started.' Coady arrives for an undisclosed fee from Leicester, one of Wrexham's opponents in the Championship in the upcoming season. He signed a two-year contract with an option for a further year. The club made internationally famous by its celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and the 'Welcome to Wrexham' documentary series is doing things differently after returning to the second tier for the first time since the 1980s. As well as staging a preseason tour of Australia and New Zealand, Wrexham has parted company with the experienced Paul Mullin and Steven Fletcher, and signed players like United States international Damion Downs. Wrexham's Championship campaign begins at Southampton on Aug. 9. ___ AP soccer:
