‘Shambolic Golfer’: Fans Drag Jordan Spieth to Mudpit as His Bizzare Texas Open Action Goes Viral

Jordan Spieth is an explorer, folks. An adventurer. Of golf shots. And of TPC San Antonio. It’s a course he has played seven times before, with three top-10s. His penultimate PGA Tour victory also came at the par 72, 7438-yard layout. However, on Saturday, his tee shot at the 18th took him to the farthest corners of the course, which the University of Texas product might not have visited before.

Now, Spieth is Spieth. And he has gifted the golf community with weirdly spectacular shots over the past few years. That has also elevated his name to an ‘epithet’ bestowed on the worthy ones. But fans think, even by his standards, this was a new high (or new low, whichever way you see it). 

Spieth created his own hazard

On the 17th, Jordan Spieth was 2 under 65. A birdie putt on the 18th would move him further up the leaderboard. But Spieth pulled his tee shot way too left; the 354-yard drive sent the ball behind a tree. The next shot was further left, and as the Tour aptly put it, it headed into the ‘unknown.’

It was actually a ditch, though. Spieth stood over the concrete drainage ditch, assessing his chances. There were none. Now, we need to peek inside his brain to understand why he did what he did next. The 13-time PGA Tour winner sent his ball 148 yards further—well, left—to the clubhouse rooftop. 

Intentional or not (take a guess), that gave him the opportunity to take a drop, which meant he had a chance to salvage par. Unfortunately, that ‘ploy’ didn’t work too well for the 2nd youngest Masters champion. Spieth eventually double-bogeyed after missing an eight-footer.

This is not the first time. Even Spieth’s scorecard has shown some weird activities. Yesterday, he made a spectacular ace that put him back in contention. Just months ago, in December, the three-time Major winner posted 68, which included two eagles, six birdies, four bogeys, a double bogey, and five pars. Nevertheless, Spieth’s 7 at the 18th has certainly left fans agape.

Jordan Spieth has transcended all expectations

Some fans questioned the legitimacy of the move. According to the rules, the immovable nature of the clubhouse allowed Spieth to receive relief. Perhaps Spieth did it knowingly. On top of that, he has been winless since his 2022 RBC Heritage victory. This fan asked, “Someone explain how this isn’t cheating?” Another user went a bit further by calling it “obscene,” while one enthusiast straightaway called the PGA Tour pro a “shambolic golfer.”

Spieth even got his fellow PGA Tour pro’s attention. Michael S. Kim, who missed the cut at Texas, admitted he hasn’t been watching the game. But despite being a pro himself, he couldn’t figure out what Jordan Spieth was thinking. “Granted I haven’t been watching but I truly have no idea what the plan or thinking was here.” He might not have the answer, but one fan wrote, “Spieth is one of those golfers that thinks outside the box. This was the smartest thing I’ve ever seen.”

This is certainly not the first time the three-time Major winner has found himself in a tough spot. Four years ago, Spieth saved par with one foot on the cliff at the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. This fan wasn’t wrong when they said, “If there was a hall of fame for ending up in the most insane places possible, Spieth would be a unanimous first ballot hall of famer.”

In Spieth’s defense, this was certainly a crazy day on the TPC San Antonio. Ludvig Aberg’s clubhead went flying when he took his tee shot at the par-4 17th. “I never saw the ball in the air. I was just concerned where the head— where the clubhead was going. It was bizarre, I’ve never seen that happen,” Aberg told NBC after the round. And some fans even thought that Spieth’s clubhouse affair ranked second to that.

Jordan Spieth, of course, hasn’t received any penalties for it. The 30-year-old will tee off in the final round at 11.20 AM EDT. Will he continue to surprise? Only time will tell!