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‘Everybody Was Screaming My Name’ – When a 16-Year-Old Jordan Spieth Debuted at the AT&T Byron Nelson

Published 05/10/2021, 5:30 PM EDT

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Gaining an entry into the PGA Tour is no easy task, and several budding golfers would be able to resonate with the statement. However, there are certain players who’ve competed in events as teenagers, and Jordan Spieth is one of them. He made his PGA Tour debut at the 2010 AT&T Byron Nelson aged just 16! 

Jordan Spieth entered the 2010 AT&T Byron Nelson as an amateur with a sponsor’s exemption. It seemed like the perfect start to Spieth’s career as he was playing an event in his hometown of Dallas. 

Spieth entered the tournament as the reigning U.S. Junior Amateur Champion and straightaway wanted to create an impact. “Nobody that’s here enters a tournament if they don’t think they can win — at least in their own minds think they can win,” a 16-year-old Spieth told PGA Tour.com

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“Obviously I know the percentage chances of me winning an event like this right now. But anything can happen,” he added. 

Spieth was not just any other teenager who gained a lucky exemption. While he was still a junior at Dallas’ Jesuit College Preparatory School, he had already gained a massive fan following owing to his talent on the golfer course. 

via Reuters

Jordan Spieth is the sixth-youngest player to make the cut on the PGA Tour 

Jordan Spieth entered the 2010 AT&T Byron Nelson with high hopes on his shoulders. He wasn’t the favorite to win it, but he turned the event over its heels over four rounds at the TPC Four Seasons Resort. 


Spieth shot 3-under in his first 36-holes on the PGA Tour. It was an impressive effort and enough for him to become the sixth youngest player to make a cut on the tour. He was just 16 years, 9 months, and 24 days old, and a lot of his high school mates had skipped class to watch him compete at Quail Hollow. 

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“I don’t want to think of myself as the amateur out here, I want to think of myself as a contender,” Spieth said.

“I kinda almost felt bad for Blake because everybody was screaming my name out there and he was tied for the lead,” he mentioned about Blake Adams, who was one of his playing partners.

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Such was the confidence of the 16YO at the 2010 AT&T Byron Nelson. Back then, word around the town was that Jordan Spieth is the next big thing in golf, and he fulfilled the prophecy.

Spieth finished 16th on his PGA Tour debut and went 4-under for the tournament. It was an impeccable achievement for the teenager and something that he would never forget.

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Jordan Spieth has never won the AT&T Byron Nelson in his career. He’s headlining the field in 2021, but can he emerge as the winner? 

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Written by:

Arjun Athreya

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Arjun Athreya is a senior writer at Essentially Sports and has been contributing since early 2020. Having developed an avid interest in sports at an early age, he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. Arjun manages the Golf division and its content, and primarily covers news pertaining to the NBA as well.
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