Former World No.1 golfer Jordan Spieth’s Mexico Championship has been rocked by a tragic incident within his team.
Spieth’s long-time caddie Michael Greller has left the tournament in Mexico after the death of his father.
The former sixth-grade maths teacher from the Seattle area is the only caddie Spieth has had as a pro.
He learned that his dad, John Greller, had died on Tuesday night.
Spieth’s father, Shawn, caddied nine holes of practice on Wednesday and will be on the bag the rest of the week at Chapultepec Golf Club.
Spieth’s caddie Greller has been rocked by his father’s death. Pic: Getty
Spieth’s caddie Greller has been rocked by his father’s death. Pic: Getty
Shawn Spieth only goes to a handful of tournaments outside the majors.
He wasn’t planning to be in Mexico City this week until he decided to fly down from Dallas on Tuesday before Greller learned his father had died.
Spieth is in the midst of the worst slump of his career, or what amounts to a slump for a 25-year-old who already has 14 victories worldwide, including three legs of the career Grand Slam.
He picked up his third major in the 2017 British Open when he his tee shot caromed off a spectator’s head and into the dunes right of the 13th fairway at Royal Birkdale. He hit 3-wood after a penalty drop on the driving range, somehow escaped with bogey, and then went birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie to win.
That was 37 tournaments ago, and it’s starting to feel even longer.
Coming off the first winless year of his pro career, Spieth made a last-minute decision to play the Sony Open in Hawaii to shake off the rust from a busy offseason that included getting married. He missed the cut. Since then, he has opened with rounds of 65 at Torrey Pines, 66 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and 64 at Riviera. He has yet to break par on the weekend.
