Jordan Spieth’s Lucky Bounce off a Fan Saves His Tournament at The Players Championship
Jordan Spieth was facing an early exit from the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Pointe Vedra Beach, Florida on Friday.[0] He was standing on the 18th tee box and hit a monster fade shot that saw the ball go from his left and way too far to the right, destined for the water.[1] That’s when an unlikely hero stepped in.[2]
The ball struck a spectator in the knee and ricocheted back onto the fairway, saving Spieth’s tournament.[3] He went over to the fan to thank him and gave him a signed glove.[4] The fan then gave the glove to a kid.[2]
“It was going in one of the waters, and I guess it hit the cart path and short-hopped off the guy's knee and then went out in the fairway forward, as well, and it must have been – the way for it to go off of him, it also then went off his knee, up in the air, over some of the water,” Spieth said.[5] “I mean, it's the equivalent of flying a green towards a hazard and hitting a grandstand and coming back on the green in a way. Needing to probably birdie to make the cut, I can't really birdie having to drop it over in the right rough over there after hitting my third. It would have been a one in a million make. Instead, I ended up making a 3.”[6]
Spieth shot a 3-over 75, which kept him in the tournament for the weekend and gave him a nice payday. This was a nice ending to a tournament that has generally not been kind to Spieth over his professional career.[6] Over the span of seven years, from 2015 to 2021, he failed to make the cut on five occasions. His best performance was finishing in a tie for 41st place in 2018, followed[7] The tournament did not take place in 2020.[7]
Spieth has endured a near-decade of frustration at the Stadium Course, but his lucky bounce off a fan gave him the chance to keep his tournament alive and make the cut.[8] He will now have the opportunity to work his way up the leaderboard during the weekend and hopefully finish on a high note.
0. “Knee-ded it: Jordan Spieth saved by fan, then chips in to safely make Players cut” Golf Channel, 10 Mar. 2023, https://www.golfchannel.com/news/knee-ded-it-jordan-spieth-saved-fan-then-chips-safely-make-players-cut
1. “Jordan Spieth gives amazing gift to fan who saved his tournament” msnNOW, 12 Mar. 2023, https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/golf/jordan-spieth-gives-amazing-gift-to-fan-who-saved-his-tournament/ar-AA18vJbb?li=BBnb7Kz
2. “Jordan Spieth, Jason Day use mid-round surges to stay in position at Players Championship” Golfweek, 10 Mar. 2023, https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/03/09/jordan-spieth-jason-day-use-surge-mid-round-to-stay-in-position-at-players-championship
3. “Jordan Spieth Drills Fan With Tee Shot, Saves Ball From Landing In Water!” TMZ, 10 Mar. 2023, https://www.tmz.com/2023/03/10/jordan-spieth-drills-fan-tee-shot-players-championship/
4. “Golf fan takes it on the KNEE to ensure Jordan Spieth avoids water and makes cut” Golfmagic.com, 10 Mar. 2023, https://www.golfmagic.com/pga-tour/golf-fan-takes-it-knee-ensure-jordan-spieth-avoids-water-and-makes-cut
5. “Jordan Spieth's ludicrous eagle should have settled the great PGA Tour cut debate” National Club Golfer, 10 Mar. 2023, https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/news/jordan-spieth-outrageous-eagle-the-players/
6. “How a fan accidentally aided Jordan Spieth making the cut at 2023 Players Championship” CBS Sports, 10 Mar. 2023, https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/how-a-fan-accidentally-aided-jordan-spieth-making-the-cut-at-2023-players-championship/
7. “Jordan Spieth gifts fan who saved errant tee shot from going in water, helped him make cut: ‘Sorry & thanks!'” WGMD Radio, 12 Mar. 2023, https://www.wgmd.com/jordan-spieth-gifts-fan-who-saved-errant-tee-shot-from-going-in-water-helped-him-make-cut-sorry-thanks
8. “Players Championship 2023: Jordan Spieth ‘really confident' for TPC Sawgrass” The Florida Times-Union, 8 Mar. 2023, https://www.jacksonville.com/story/sports/golf/pga-tour/2023/03/08/players-championship-2023-jordan-spieth-really-confident-tpc-sawgrass-florida/69980219007/
