Things weren’t looking good for Jordan Spieth, sitting 170 yards out on the seventh hole. With the crowd surrounding him, he was looking to hit a ball buried deep in the rough. What’s more? The angle he had to find the green wasn’t favorable enough. And in this dire situation, he called for his caddie to ease some pressure.

Skratch shared a video of him talking to his caddie, Michael Greller. The two were discussing the stroke Spieth should play to escape the tough situation. His bagman advised him to aim for the right of the tree. The three-time major winner thought he should at least clear the bunker.

The back and forth went on for over a minute, with both carefully judging each option but not always agreeing with each other. Spieth, at one point, scanned the yardage book and pin location to consider his options. Michael Greller said it would be just fine if he could land it short, but Spieth shook his head.

He felt going short would land him in a bunker. The three-time major champion started taking practice swings, but Greller’s next comments made him stop midway. There was an apparent confusion about which bunkers both were discussing. There were four sand traps, and once both agreed on where to land, Spieth punched out from near the cart path, as you can see in the clip below.

His wedge shot traveled 191 yards, 21 yards behind the green. It landed in the greenside rough, but much closer to the hole. That was enough to give him a shot at saving the par at the seventh hole. Sitting 37 yards from the cup, he hit another wedge that landed 15 feet from his target. The 32-year-old one-putted the ball to save par to settle at 5-under.

This kind of lengthy conversation is not new between Spieth and his long-time caddie, Greller. At last year’s Memorial, Spieth ignored Greller’s advice and went for the fairway from 115 yards away, even when the chances of him landing in another awkward lie were higher.

But the dynamic between them is unique. Greller has been on Spieth’s bag since the 2011 U.S. Junior. Back in 2021, both Spieth and Greller met John Graham, the putting coach for Justin Thomas, for new green-reading methods. Greller also learned the aimpoint on Spieth’s request. So the two share a strong bond, which is perhaps also why Greller doesn’t mind taking detours across the course with his employer.

Spieth is no stranger to difficult lies and saving pars. In fact, he is famous for his detours across the golf course. In the 2024 Valero Texas Open, the three-time major winner’s approach landed near a drainage ditch. From there, Jordan Spieth actually swung toward the clubhouse roof, earning himself free relief. Nevertheless, he ended up with a double bogey.

Quite naturally, when someone else, like Sahith Theegala, pulls off such amazing recovery shots from unconventional positions, they draw comparisons with Spieth.  However, despite his efforts, Jordan Spieth wasn’t able to save the round. He scored consecutive bogeys on the eighth and ninth holes. That ended his day at 3-under par with only a -1 to account for on Friday.

Anyway, the spectators must have enjoyed learning how Spieth’s mind works as they heard him talk to Greller. But his ability in the course had left someone mesmerized a few weeks ago.

Jordan Spieth impresses Hollywood star with his short game mastery

It was just an ordinary day for Jordan Spieth at Riviera Country Club. But it’s not always easy to grasp what he considers normal. Especially for his fans who watch him often. And in the third round of the Genesis Invitational, he had gained a new fan in Kathryn Newton.

Newton, who is a Hollywood star, appeared as a guest analyst at the event. She was covering Spieth’s first hole effort on the course. With the ball sitting 67 feet from the cup, he hit a perfectly controlled putt. And the Hollywood star was mesmerized by how he was able to hit it just 2 feet away from the hole.

“*Gasps* That was so good! Let’s go! Let’s go, Jordan! You can’t do that,” Newton said, unable to grasp how accurate Spieth was.

The 32-year-old ended up making a birdie on the hole to start the day on a high note. He immediately evened the score with a bogey on the second hole. But Spieth’s outstanding two-putt helped Newton witness his brilliance up close.

Similarly, at the Valspar Championship, spectators are getting the full Jordan Spieth experience. The long conversation, however, showed how much insightful thought goes into every shot regardless of its lie.