AUGUSTA, Ga. — Wednesday at Augusta Nationwide is a day for household, particularly for these taking part in within the discipline. Masters contributors can invite their wives, girlfriends, and youngsters to affix them on the Par 3 Contest, with lots of them hitting pictures themselves.
It’s a day in contrast to another in golf, a day that celebrates what makes this recreation so nice: togetherness amongst younger and outdated alike, amongst these whose love for each other extends far past a cosmic realm. Sporadic pictures from non-players could go in every single place, however the one fixed on this particular Wednesday is the grins worn by everybody on the property, from patron to participant and everybody in between.
No marvel Jack Nicklaus, who received six Inexperienced Jackets, the final of which got here along with his son caddying for him in 1986, famously mentioned that his favourite Masters second got here through the 2018 Par 3 Contest. His grandson, G.T., aced the par-3 ninth gap, which led the Golden Bear to say, “That is the best day I’ve ever had at Augusta Nationwide.”
For Jordan Spieth, whose first Masters title got here 10 years in the past, the Par 3 Contest represents a “Full Circle” second for him.
“I used to play it with myself, Justin [Rose], and Rickie [Fowler], and we have been doing hole-in-one bets,” Spieth mentioned on Wednesday morning after getting some last-minute follow in.
“Now I’ve simply received to be sure that Sammy doesn’t hit any individual. It’s very, very completely different — very full circle. I used to see the children on the market, [and used to think], ‘Man, that appears too far-off.’ Now I’ve two strolling round with a 3rd on the way in which.”
Spieth and his spouse Annie welcomed their son Sammy in November 2021. Sophie then got here in September 2023, proper earlier than Spieth teed it up on the Ryder Cup. As Spieth referenced, their third baby is due in July, per Golfweek. However that didn’t cease a six-month pregnant Annie Spieth from accompanying her husband to Augusta Nationwide with their two youngsters.
“It’s type of loopy,” Spieth mentioned.
“It’s a special occasion. This place is in contrast to another. We don’t do that wherever else. [Sammy is] going to find it irresistible. My daughter now, she’s spunky. She’ll be strolling round some. We’ll see how she does. She’s solely a 12 months and a half, however I’m excited to have each of them on the market.”
Spieth 10 years later
Does it seem to be he received The Masters 10 years in the past?
“In some methods sure; in some methods no,” Spieth mentioned.
“Yeah, it was a distinct place in life for me than I’m at now. However on the identical time, it type of all blends collectively right here too, so it will possibly really feel prefer it’s yesterday on the identical time. It’s good recollections, however I really feel like I can seize one other probability this week. I used to be taking part in the sixteenth yesterday, and I used to be pondering of 2018, once I went on a run on Sunday. I used to be hitting a putt, and I’m like, man, you simply take without any consideration being in rivalry on Sunday right here. I used to be doing it rather a lot early on. It’s identical to there’s no cooler place to do it, no higher feeling. So the aim is to get your self on the again 9 and have an opportunity.”
The 12 months earlier than he received, in 2014, Spieth entered the ultimate spherical in a tie for the lead with Bubba Watson. He truly held a two-shot lead over Watson after making a birdie on the seventh gap, however back-to-back bogies — whereas Watson made two straight birdies — flipped the script and handed the Southpaw a two-shot lead on the flip. Spieth didn’t make a par-breaker for the remainder of the day, posting an even-par 72 to lose by three.
Everyone knows what occurred in 2016, when Spieth held a one-shot lead over Smylie Kaufmann going into Sunday. He then appeared destined to win back-to-back Inexperienced Jackets after a entrance 9 32, which featured 5 birdies and just one bogey on the difficult par-4 fifth. However he got here utterly undone at Amen Nook, dropping pictures at 10 and 11. He then plunged a pair of pictures into Rae’s Creek in entrance of the twelfth inexperienced. He made a quadruple bogey seven there, which all however handed the title to Danny Willett. Spieth, the defending champion, needed to stand there in Butler Cabin and helplessly watch the Englishman take what he thought can be his.
Two years later, in 2018, Spieth made an unimaginable run up the leaderboard on Sunday, which fired up the golf world. Spieth was 9-under for the day on the 18th tee, and 14-under total, however a wayward tee shot clipped an overhanging department and his ball settled over 300 yards away from the inexperienced. He finally made 5, carded an 8-under 64, and misplaced to Patrick Reed by two.
He has posted a pair of top-5s at Augusta Nationwide since then, in 2021 and 2023, however throughout that point, his perspective on life has utterly modified.
“I simply have completely different priorities now, proper? I’ve received a rising household, and I like being a really hands-on dad. So attempting to work smarter and never work tougher. It’s exhausting to say not working tougher. I’ve in all probability labored as exhausting as ever within the final eight months,” Spieth added.
“However on the identical time, doing it in a very good approach. Making an attempt to not waste any pictures through the day and keep dedicated to the method.”
A lingering wrist damage, wherein he suffered forward of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill in 2023, additionally set him again a bit. However the rehab and all the bother related to that solely added to his already full plate of being knowledgeable golfer and a father. He lastly had surgical procedure on his wrist final August and returned to the PGA Tour in early February at Pebble Seaside.
“It’s nonetheless a major work in progress proper now. That simply goes to a number of the consistencies. Nevertheless it’s actually only a swing right here, a swing there from a few runner-ups or a win already in a number of completely different occasions. Fortunately round right here, I do know what to keep away from when bother comes. Hopefully that works in my favor,” Spieth mentioned.
“It’s shut, nevertheless it’s not fairly there but. That doesn’t imply that you simply don’t discover it by way of this week. I imply, once I began again up [after surgery], it was a 10-year outlook, not an April of ‘25 outlook. It’s slightly an excessive amount of to ask to really feel I’m one of the best I’ve ever been coming off surgical procedure. So I attempt to hit the green on No. 1 tomorrow, after which I attempt to hit the center of the inexperienced, and I’m going from there.”
Jordan Spieth has discovered to take issues shot by shot on the golf course and day-to-day at dwelling, all whereas prioritizing his household first.
Possibly that perspective will assist him this week. Possibly not. However regardless of the case could also be, the Par 3 Contest, extra so than something, exhibits the person Spieth has change into — a household man, far-off from the younger grownup he was in 2015. And but, everyone knows he nonetheless has that sensible play within him, that type that nearly received him three consecutive Masters from 2014 to 2016.
That mentioned, the one factor Spieth continues to do in any case these years is that he by no means fails to entertain. No matter this week’s final result, he’ll proceed doing that at Augusta this week. Discuss a full circle certainly.
