Jordan Spieth’s life has taken a dramatic twist, gaining fame and fortune in his rapid ascent to world No. 2.
As he prepares for the third event in golf’s Grand Slam, practically every move he makes is being captured on video. He needs a police escort to clear a path so he can get to the first tee for a practice round. Afterward, he is led through another maze of outstretched arms as he gets whisked to a car. It seems that everyone wants something from the 21-year-old from Dallas.
Watching his son’s transformation on the national stage, Shawn Spieth said it’s important that Jordan maintains the values that led to his success.
“The biggest change in general has been just the fact that he’s recognized everywhere,” Shawn Spieth said. “You have to learn how to say no at times, which is never something you want to do as a kid. But you get to a point where you know it starts to affect you and your ability to get your work done. That’s been the biggest challenge.”
For Spieth, just going to a restaurant can be an adventure. He can’t just put on a cap like a movie star because that’s what he always wears.
“You know the places you can go, but more times than not he’ll get takeout, somebody will pick something up and just eat at home,” Shawn said. “He likes being at home and just relaxing there more than he likes going out for the most part, and it’s always been that way.
“When he goes in and out, he’s always talking to somebody or signing something, or taking a picture or two, especially in Dallas.”
Spieth’s popularity has increased with his ranking. His clean-cut image seems a refreshing change in sports.
His decision to play last week’s John Deere Classic provided the perfect example. Although he took some criticism for not coming early to get in extra preparation for the Old Course, he kept his commitment, just as he did at the RBC Heritage the week after winning the Masters.
For Spieth, doing what it takes to win and doing the right thing still go hand in hand. He has five wins and $17 million in prize money in less than three years on the PGA Tour, but he still minds his manners.
You only have to ask Shawn Spieth what it means to hear TV analysts admiring his son’s sense of values to know whence those values came.
“That means more than anything else,” Shawn Spieth said. “Ultimately, golf is a game, right? He was blessed with a lot of talent, a lot of desire, a lot of grit, a lot of will, but ultimately it’s how you treat people, what you do for people, recognizing who the real heroes are — the greats who created the game and gave him the opportunity to play golf for a living.
“Keeping that in perspective, as a parent, that’s what’s most rewarding. That doesn’t change. That’s imbedded in his DNA now.”
Spieth’s playoff win last week provided a good glimpse of his maturity as a player. He avoided getting rattled after falling behind the final round, then birdied four of five holes to make the playoff.
After getting his first victory at the John Deere two years ago, Spieth did not win a PGA Tour event last season. But in December he dominated at the Australian Open and the Hero World Challenge.
Then came major breakthroughs at the Masters, where he went wire-to-wire, and the U.S. Open, where he found a way to win without his best stuff.
Shawn said he could see a difference in the way his son handled himself at the John Deere, even the way he celebrated, compared with two years ago.
“It takes a little bit of time for everybody to develop the confidence and sense of inner calm that you need to be able to execute in this game,” Shawn said. “You don’t expect to win the first two majors of the year.
“He played fairly well last year; he just couldn’t quite get over the hump and played well enough to be in the top 10, so I think it was just a matter of time where you win again. And then to win back-to-back at the end of the year, he just didn’t want the year to end — you know, ‘Where’s the next challenge?’
“So it was a little surprising to play that well right after the holidays, but I think what that says is, if he stays healthy and keeps doing the same things then we expect to see it for a long time. That’s kind of related to his reactions to winning his first event two years ago to now expecting to win.”
Handling success can be similar to dealing with celebrity. Spieth has learned to keep his composure in the face of adversity. About the most controversial thing he has said publicly was at the U.S. Open, when he called No. 18 at Chambers Bay “the dumbest hole I’ve ever played in my whole life.”
“He’s matured a lot,” Shawn Spieth said. “The competitive fire, if it’s there; you’re going to have your moments. I think you see it in most athletes at the professional level. Most guys keep it in; you just see it in a different way.
“Jordan will vent, but he does it in a positive way. If it’s a negative outcome, you handle it in a respectful way. You just don’t let words out of your mouth that are going to define you in certain ways.”