Jordan Spieth is a well-known golf figure around the Dallas area. The Jesuit product made a name for himself early on, standing out as a high school star before leading the Texas Longhorns to a national golf title in 2012.
With three major victories under his belt, Spieth is looking to regain his winning form in 2024 and beyond. Here are 10 things to know about Spieth:
1. He warmed up for his first PGA Tour tournament with ping pong
Not by choice, but by necessity. Spieth, at age 16, was about to play the first round Byron Nelson as an amateur, but a rain delay kept him off the course. He took to the ping pong table to pass the time before his life-changing start. He ended up finishing tied for 16th at the event.
2. Golf does not run in his family
The Spieth family is a sports family, but only Jordan took to the clubs. His mom, Chris, played basketball at Moravian College and his father, Shawn, was a baseball player at Lehigh. Brother, Steve, went to Brown and played basketball.
Although the family didn’t golf, Spieth still took the sport pretty early in his life. His mother shared with PGATour.com that Spieth was playing with plastic Little Tike clubs as early as 18 months old as a way to pass the time while she tended to his younger brother.
3. He’s a dad
Spieth had a pretty good reason for missing the scouting trip for the 2023 Ryder Cup. At the time of the trip, his wife gave birth to their second child.
Spieth’s wife gave birth to a baby girl named Sophie. She was born on Sept. 12, right after the U.S. Ryder Cup team returned from Italy. Spieth’s son, Sammy, was born in November 2021.
Welcome, Sophie
— Jordan Spieth (@JordanSpieth) September 19, 2023
9/12/23 💕 pic.twitter.com/C7YlZwtjAm
4. An all-time great Longhorn
Spieth joined a select club of Texas Longhorns in 2023. In September, he was inducted into Texas Athletics’ Hall of Honor.
In his one full season of collegiate golf, Spieth was a consensus first-team All-American and finalist for the Ben Hogan Award as the National Player of the Year. He also helped lead the Longhorns to the 2012 NCAA Championship.
The 69th Men’s Hall of Honor class included Spieth (golf, 2011-12), Quan Cosby (football, 2005-08), David Denny (baseball, 1982-85), Kris Kirchner (swimming and diving, 1980-81), James H. Means, Jr. (track and field, 1963-64, ‘66-68) and Carter alum Jonathan Scott (football, 2002-05).
5. His high-school sweetheart was a Big 12 rival
Spieth met his wife, Annie Verret, in high school. Their bond was strong enough to last when they both went off to college.
With Verret in Lubbock and Spieth in Austin, the rivalry between Texas Tech and Texas couldn’t drive the couple apart. In fact, each has something to brag about when it comes to college.
Verret graduated with a 4.0 GPA from Texas Tech, and Spieth led Texas to a national golf title in 2012.
6. Which made this bit kind of awkward...
In 2015, Miss Texas Shannon Sandeford was interviewed by the Rangers’ TV crew when she performed a freestyle rap that ended with her asking Jordan Spieth out on a date. Verret, then Spieth’s girlfriend, was apparently also at the stadium at the time it happened....
7. He owns part of an English soccer club
.Spieth and Justin Thomas became minority owners of Leeds United in 2023. The golfing duo invested in the San Francisco 49ers’ ownership group, 49ers Enterprises, which took control of the English soccer club.
Although the club was relegated to the second-tier EFL Championship when Spieth made the move, he maintained a positive attitude about the transaction.
“Relegation wasn’t ideal,” Spieth said, “but we got involved with the 49ers group about purchasing a larger share and getting in with them doing things so successfully as they do everywhere they’ve touched.
“We thought it would be a cool opportunity. It’s a big city, historic club, great venue in Elland Road, and once we looked into it we realized it could be really exciting.”
8. He battled tuna (and a shark) for 2.5 hours
Spieth explained at the 2015 John Deere Classic that he spent 2.5 hours battling a tuna and then a shark. Spieth had gone to the Bahamas with some friends and after snorkeling, they decided to throw in a few fishing line. He got hooked with a tuna for 45 minutes to an hour. As he battled with the tuna, the captain of the boat had to scare off sharks trying to eat it. After a break, Spieth came back and finally reeled it in.
"In total it was two and a half hours, and what surfaced was like a 12-foot long, 300-pound black tip shark that had eaten this tuna and then had hooked itself, so I guess I caught both in one because I got that shark," Spieth said. "But there was no room for the fish and dames on the back of the boat so we couldn't pull it on."
9. He’s a PGA Tour policy board member
In November 2023, Spieth replaced Rory McIlroy on the PGA Tour’s policy board. McIlroy was the first international player elected to the board.
The Northern Irish golfer said he no longer felt he had the time and energy to serve his final year of what has been a period of turmoil on the PGA Tour as it fought and then proposed a partnership with Saudi backers of LIV Golf.
Spieth was the unanimous choice of the five other board members to take the open spot. He serves with Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Webb Simpson and Peter Malnati.
10. Looking to regain the winning touch
Spieth’s professional career got out to a pretty hot start. His first PGA Tour victory came in 2013, when he won the John Deere Classic at the age of 19.
The following season he added Masters and U.S. Open victories to his resume. He won the PGA Tour FedEx Cup in 2015. About two years later, Spieth added a victory at The Open Championship.
In total, the Jesuit product has 13 PGA Tour wins under his belt. The only problem? His last Tour victory took place during the 2021-22 season at the RBC Heritage.
