Jordan and Steve Spieth are young men with special needs. Fortunately, they have someone to fulfill them in 11-year-old sister Ellie, who is autistic.
Jordan would have moved to No. 2 in the world golf rankings if he had won a three-way playoff in the final round of the Shell Houston Open at the Golf Club of Houston on Sunday. Instead, he has to settle for No. 4 at least until this week's Masters, which he will enter as one of the favorites after finishing first, second and tied for second in his last three tournaments.
Steven started at guard as a sophomore this season for Brown University's basketball team.
Both might have achieved as much success athletically as they have without Ellie's influence, but their mother Chris says they might not have become the men they are.
"I don't think they'd be the kind of kids they are without her," she says.
PGA Tour officials consider Spieth among the most grounded young players they can recall. Davis Love III, the U.S. 2016 Ryder Cup captain, says Spieth "says the right things, does the right things, fits right in."
How humble is he?
"My speaking about humility is very difficult, because that wouldn't be humility," he once said.
No one could blame him if he were less humble.
When Spieth, 21, won the Valspar Championship in Florida last month, he became the third-youngest player with multiple tour victories behind Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia. If he had won Sunday, he would have become the second-youngest player since 1940 (behind Woods) to win a third tournament.