Two days have passed since it all went wrong for Jordan Spieth and caddie Michael Greller at the Masters.
Spieth’s collapse has been well-documented, as has been the composure he displayed in answering questions minutes after letting a second green jacket slip through his fingers. While Greller didn’t speak to the media following the final round, he did expand on his thoughts and emotions from the final round in a lengthy post to Facebook.
Greller began by recounting a story from the first time he met Spieth, while caddying for Justin Thomas at the 2011 U.S. Amateur at Erin Hills, and he remarked on the maturity he saw in the then-17-year-old prodigy. Greller then pivoted to the present, explaining that while Sunday’s finish at Augusta National “stung,” both he and Spieth will improve as a result.
“We have received an outpouring of support and thoughtful messages. But don’t feel sorry or sad for us,” Greller wrote. “We won’t get stuck in this moment, nor should you. We will work harder, fight harder and be better for it. We will bounce back as we have done many times.”
Greller also recalled the pain of last year’s T-4 finish at the Open Championship, when Spieth stayed behind the 18th green to congratulate Zach Johnson before flying home with the reigning Open champ. He also described how a similar scene played out last summer at Whistling Straits, when Spieth was beaten by Jason Day at the PGA Championship.
“At the end of the day, golf is a sport,” Greller wrote. “This isn’t life and death stuff. There are far greater struggles that exist in the world than not winning the Masters. We are beyond blessed to do what we do. We are grateful to work alongside the greatest golfers and caddies in the world. It is a challenge we relish.
“A wise coach reminded me recently, winning shows your character and losing shows ALL your character,” he wrote. “Jordan continues to model grace and humility through wins and especially losses. The student continues to teach the teacher, and now millions of others, just like he did at Erin Hills. Jordan Spieth is the same genuine, grounded and humble person he was five years ago, in victory or defeat.”
