Skip to content

Spieth's caddie describes 13th hole at The Open as 'absolute chaos'

Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

It's the most talked about moment from the 146th Open Championship.

Jordan Spieth's 30-minute adventure on the 13th hole Sunday would become the turning point of the championship, and caddie, Michael Greller, said the entire situation inside the ropes was insane.

"Just absolute chaos," Greller told Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio. "And then out of right field you hear someone yell, 'There's a ball on the right side of the dune.' And Jordan goes bouncing up there like a billy goat, and I went back down to the fairway because I didn't think it was the ball. I thought there's no chance it could be over there."

Greller said what impressed him the most during the entire affair was how Spieth was able to remain in the moment with the tournament on the line.

"I don't think people can appreciate his being in the situation and for him to have the thought process to think, 'Is the range in play or out of play?'" said Greller. "I mean, you would just assume it's out of bounds. And he asked the question and found out it's in play, and so he knew that he could go back as far as he wanted by taking an unplayable."

Spieth would salvage bogey at No. 13, then produce one of the greatest stretches in major championship history, going 5-under over his final five holes to claim his first Open Championship.

"The cool part was just how slowly everything moved, and how from a mental standpoint there wasn't a sense of panic or 'it's over,'" added Greller. "It was like, if he can get this back in play and make a 5, somehow a 5 but a 6 worst case, it's most likely going to be a two-shot swing. And two shots with five to go is very doable. It was just a bonus that it was only one shot."

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox