Michael Greller has been standing next to Jordan Spieth for 14 years. He was there for the 2015 Masters, the US Open that same year, and the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale in 2017. He has watched Spieth win 13 PGA Tour titles, survive collapses, the winless stretches, the spirals. And still, the standard hasn’t dropped one inch.

“I’m OCD,” Spieth said plainly during the practice round, explaining how he operates out on the course. “There are maybe three shots a round where I’m either coming from the bathroom or far enough off, the fairway, I don’t check it myself. It’s not that I don’t. It’s just nice to have the double check for both of us.”

Greller’s job isn’t to check what Spieth won’t, it’s to confirm what Spieth already has. And it was visible in the practice session. When Greller called 250 to the front in that same round, Spieth corrected him to 278. No argument. No elaboration. Just a line drawn.

Their on-course conversations, often picked up by broadcast microphones, follow the same pattern every time, Spieth asking questions, demanding explanations, and pushing back when the numbers don’t add up. Greller has to justify the figures before Spieth accepts them. If he can’t, the golfer knows immediately.

That dynamic has been tested under pressure, too.

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At the 2025 Memorial Tournament, with thick rough on the par-5 fifth, Greller suggested a cautious chip-out. Spieth pushed back, choosing a risky 115-yard shot instead.

“I don’t want to hit it right there,” he said, choosing a risky 115-yard shot instead. He later admitted he “talked him into it,” admitting that the safer play was probably the right one, even though the gamble paid off with a birdie.

And this pattern has been around for a while.

The 32-years-old once said that they even came up with a “safe word” system to keep him from talking too much about decisions when he gets angry, which shows how heated their strategic debates can get.

And yet, none of that noise has changed what happens between the ropes.

Jordan Spieth’s form has been the real conversation starter. After a wrist surgery in August 2025 and 12 weeks of recovery, he returned in January, making the cut in six of seven events, showing enough early promise to silence the doubters. But inconsistent finishes and a missed cut at the Genesis Invitational kept the pressure simmering. That’s the backdrop against which the Greller question began to grow louder.

Back in 2025, when Spieth’s form was all over the place, the conversation around a potential caddie change grew harder to ignore, especially after players like Max Homa split with longtime looper Joe Greiner during a similar slump. But Spieth’s ongoing, detailed exchanges with Greller on the course tell a different story: the trust is still there, even if it demands constant validation.

Off the course, Spieth’s position in elite fields is facing scrutiny of a very different kind.

Exemption keeps Jordan Spieth in the spotlight

Jordan Spieth got a sponsor exemption into the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. This means he will be in another limited-field Signature Event, even though he didn’t automatically qualify through the FedEx Cup standings. The choice shows that he is still important to the Tour as a business and as a competitor, even though his results have been inconsistent of late.

The exemption is also in line with a recent trend. In 2025, Spieth secured spots in $20 million signature events like the Genesis Invitational, RBC Heritage, the Memorial Tournament, and the Truist Championship through multiple sponsor invites. This shows how exemptions have become a common way for players to reenter elite fields.

Reports say that some lower-ranked players criticized Spieth for taking up limited spots through invites instead of rankings. Veterans also openly questioned whether the selection process fairly reflects current performance-based merit.

Jordan Spieth, on the other hand, has firmly defended his position. He said that invitations are not bought but earned through tournament value. He said that organizers choose players who help the event, and while he would not like to rely on exemptions, he is following the same system that everyone else does.

Signature Events have $20 million purses and small fields, so every invite has a big impact on how strong the competition is. For Jordan Spieth, the exemption is both a chance to show he is still in good shape and a reminder that he needs to keep producing strong results to maintain elite access.

Can he do that with Greller on his side? Only time will tell.