ATHLETIC GREATS: Jordan Spieth on Chasing Perfection and Reaching Golf’s Highest Stages (July 2018)

Summary

Podcast Summary: Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist

Episode: ATHLETIC GREATS: Jordan Spieth on Chasing Perfection and Reaching Golf’s Highest Stages
Date: February 8, 2026 (original interview July 2018)
Host: Willie Geist
Guest: Jordan Spieth

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Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation between Willie Geist and golf superstar Jordan Spieth. Recorded at Spieth's home club in Dallas, the discussion delves into Spieth’s rapid rise to golf fame, his mindset on and off the course, family influences, handling public scrutiny, recovering from setbacks, and his admiration for fellow greats like Tiger Woods. The conversation captures both Spieth’s competitive drive and his grounded, humble outlook, offering lessons on resilience and the pursuit of excellence.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defending the Claret Jug – Mindset Going into the Open Championship

• [03:37-04:21]
  • Jordan talks about what it’s like preparing to defend his Open title at Carnoustie, highlighting the historical prestige of the tournament and the unique mentality it requires.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “It’s really cool. The Open is the oldest and, you know, most prestigious and most historic tournament that we play in all year. …To kind of have it in my possession is great, but it’ll be pretty sad to give it back, hopefully for only a week.” – Jordan Spieth [03:43]

2. Pressure of Defending a Title vs. Chasing

• [04:21-05:18]
  • Spieth reflects on whether being a defending champion adds pressure, noting that every tournament is different and warns against comparing past and present experiences.
  • Notable Insight:
    • There’s no such thing as two identical wins; detachment from past successes is crucial.

3. The 2017 Open Championship: Overcoming Mental Challenges

• [05:27-08:45]
  • Spieth candidly describes his internal struggles during his dramatic 2017 Open win—facing negative thoughts, shifting from leader to “chaser,” and how he reset by focusing on process over outcome.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “The battle mentally through those four hours of falling and losing a lead and getting into the negative thoughts of what happens if I don’t win… Just as kind of crazy and long as that day seemed, the absolute just switch that flipped… I look back and I know what I did, but I’m surprised at how effective it was.” – Jordan Spieth [05:39]
  • He shares the mantra of short memory in golf:
    • “That’s the toughest part in golf, is to forget about the last shot and focus on the next. …I was able to garner that focus that Sunday.” – Jordan Spieth [08:48]

4. Giving Back and Junior Golf

• [09:07-11:37]
  • Discussion of Spieth’s foundation and his work with junior golf:
    • Credits older PGA players for setting examples of philanthropy.
    • Emphasizes the importance of showing young golfers the realities of ascending through higher competition levels—including rest and recovery.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “I think I can actually help more with that than I can just the physical side of hitting golf balls.” – Jordan Spieth [11:25]

5. Falling in Love with Golf and the Junior Years

• [11:37-13:42]
  • Spieth traces his love for the game to age 12-13, playing all day at Brookhaven Country Club.
  • Differentiates between loving golf and realizing it could be a career after winning his first US Junior at 15.

6. First PGA Start at 16: Confidence and Lessons

• [13:42-16:52]
  • Describes writing for a sponsor exemption—with his dad’s coaching—and the thrill of playing, then finishing 16th at the Byron Nelson at age 16.
  • Highlights learning from seasoned pros, absorbing their routines, and discovering right away that he was there to seriously contend.

7. From College Golfer to PGA Tour Winner

• [16:52-18:50]
  • At 19, after leaving college and writing his way into tournaments via exemptions, he unexpectedly wins his first PGA event (John Deere Classic), earning tour status and entry into top international events.
  • Notable Moment: Overnight, goes from college hopeful to rookie of the year, playing in the President's Cup alongside childhood heroes.

8. Masters Near-Miss and Global Spotlight

• [18:50-21:44]
  • The 2014 Masters marks Spieth’s global introduction, where he contends for the title at just 20.
  • Reflects on how the Masters’ broad audience shot him to household-name status.
  • Notable Insight: The win in 2015 escalated his celebrity to a new level—a shift he managed by focusing on having fun and staying humble, as taught by his parents.

9. Coping with Fame, Setbacks, and “Haters”

• [21:44-24:23]
  • Admits that rapid success and resulting attention can go to one’s head or bring negativity.
  • Reminded himself to find joy and purpose in the practice and mastery, not in external validation.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “If you have haters, that means that you're at a certain level that only breeds that… It's very important to be more driven into what you just love to do every single day.” – Jordan Spieth [23:18]

10. Recovering from the 2016 Masters Disappointment

• [24:23-28:11]
  • Openly discusses losing joy for golf after his 2016 Masters collapse and how he reframed the setback as a technical, not psychological, failing.
  • Details the process of focusing on execution, gaining perspective, and using results (like another Open win) to restore confidence.

11. Being Called “Underrated”—Reflection on Perception

• [28:11-29:28]
  • Notes Rory McIlroy’s recent comments calling Spieth “the most underrated player in golf.”
  • Jordan shrugs off ratings, steering focus back to personal goals and enjoyment.

12. Family Influence and Support System

• [29:28-31:38]
  • Touching discussion of his close-knit family, especially his younger sister Ellie, whose approach to life inspires him to maintain perspective and gratitude.
  • Credits his upbringing for his balanced, humble outlook on life.

13. Tiger Woods: Inspiration, Friendship, and the State of His Game

• [31:38-33:54]
  • Speaks admiringly of Tiger Woods’ resurgence, lauding Tiger’s happiness and the influence he now imparts to younger players.
  • Finds it “bizarre and cool” that Woods—once his idol—is now a peer offering support and advice.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “I believe, having played a number of rounds with him now this year, that he's back as a solid contender and a one of the top PGA Tour players in the game right now. And therefore he's fully capable of winning any tournament that he plays in.” – Jordan Spieth [32:02]

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the mental switch at the Open:
  “I was able to completely throw out everything that had just happened and set a completely new goal…”
  – Jordan Spieth [07:47]

• On family, humility, and staying grounded:
  “It's so easy when you get these expectations and you get to a certain status where you have haters, you have people that just want to see you fail. ... If you have haters, that means that you're at a certain level that only breeds that.”
  – Jordan Spieth [22:52], [23:18]

• On Tiger Woods’ influence:
  “For us growing up, watching this guy dominate to now, he's like, you know, reaching in and trying to help us out. It's just, it's a bizarre scenario, but a really cool one at that.”
  – Jordan Spieth [33:04]

• On Ellie’s inspiration:
  “To have her out at golf tournaments and for her, whether it’s good or bad, to give you a hug at the end and not really caring or knowing what the results are... it makes you recognize where happiness comes from. It's not from results, you know, it's not, it's... it's in the little things.”
  – Jordan Spieth [30:01]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Jordan reflects on defending the Open Championship: [03:37–04:21]
• Process of resetting mentally at the 2017 Open: [05:39–08:48]
• Insights on giving back to junior golfers and foundation work: [09:07–11:37]
• Falling in love with golf, junior years: [11:54–13:42]
• Securing first PGA start and what he learned: [13:42–16:52]
• Breakthrough win and sudden rise on the tour: [16:52–18:50]
• Managing fame and pressure: [21:44–24:23]
• Coping after Masters 2016 collapse: [24:23–28:11]
• Ellie’s impact and family values: [29:45–31:38]
• Thoughts on Tiger Woods and his evolution: [31:38–33:54]

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Tone & Takeaways

Throughout the interview, the tone remains candid, warm, and self-aware. Spieth oscillates between self-deprecating humor and deep vulnerability. The interplay between his acute competitive instincts and clear-eyed appreciation of simple joys—family, mentorship, love of the craft—makes this a must-listen for both sports fans and anyone interested in handling pressure, public scrutiny, and the pursuit of personal excellence.

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For those seeking wisdom on resilience, the dangers of external validation, and the power of staying connected to one's roots, this episode is especially rich.

Transcript

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[Willie Geist]

Hey guys, Willie Geist here with another edition of the Sunday Sit down podcast. Today's guest is one of the best in golf, maybe the best in golf. Jordan Spieth.

[Interviewer]

The 24 year old phenom went down.

[Willie Geist]

To Dallas to his home golf club. Met the 3 time major winner on his home turf. We talked a little bit inside, then we went out on the range. It was in Dallas. It was about 173 degrees outside, so we stayed out there for a little while. I think I got three shots off with a pitching wedge. My third hit the target he was trying to hit. I felt good because I topped the first two but that's a thing. You're standing over pitching wedge with Jordan Spieth staring at you and analyzing your swing.

[Interviewer]

Really amazing story.

[Willie Geist]

I mean he truly a prodigy in every sense of the word. He entered his first PGA Professional Golf Tournament at 16 years old. They gave him a sponsor exemption to get in. He he finished 16th in the tournament, became a global star when he was 21 years old by winning the Masters. Remember the year before he almost won it at 20 years old and I have to say spending the day with him, incredibly grounded, incredibly family oriented. He's engaged to his high school sweetheart. He's got his family around him. His brother, his younger brother played basketball at Brown University, a star there. He's the basketball star, Jordan's the golf star. And Ellie, his sister who has special needs, continues to be the inspiration for Jordan Spies. So we get into all of that, we talk About Tyler Tiger woods, which I thought was really interesting. Jordan talking not only about the state of Tiger's game and whether or not Jordan thinks he can continue to win majors, but also changes in Tiger's life, about the kind of guy he is on the tour now, about him being a better friend and socializing and hanging out with the guys in a way he never did.

[Interviewer]

Kind of getting out of his bubble.

[Willie Geist]

I should point out, as we sat down for our interview.

[Interviewer]

The claret jug.

[Willie Geist]

Yes, the claret jug that is owned currently by Jordan Spieth because he won the British Open last year was right between us, which I thought was just like a baller move. Yeah, let's sit down, have an interview, and the whole time we're talking, you're.

[Interviewer]

Gonna just stare at my claret jug.

[Willie Geist]

He's now defending. Next week, he'll be defending a week.

[Interviewer]

And a half or so, his title.

[Willie Geist]

At the British Open. He'll be back there. So a fun conversation with a great guy and truly one of the all time greats in golf already at 24 years old. Jordan Spieth on the Sunday Sit down podcast.

[Interviewer]

Thank you for doing this, man.

[Jordan Spieth]

Yeah, of course.

[Interviewer]

You know what move? I like a guy who brings his claret jug to the interview. Yeah, it just really sends a message when you set it right down.

[Jordan Spieth]

Yeah, it's shiny. It kind of, you know, I'm. I'm not very good looking, so it takes away from that and, you know, the focus.

[Interviewer]

Is that what it is? It's a distraction.

[Jordan Spieth]

Yeah, exactly.

[Interviewer]

You're getting ready to defend that jug in just a little while here. How are you feeling about your game going into Carnoustie?

[Jordan Spieth]

Yeah, I feel good.

[Interviewer]

This.

[Jordan Spieth]

I'm gonna have a little break here prior to going over there, which will be nice. I'll be fully refreshed and ready to go, just like last year. It's really cool. The Open is the oldest and, you know, most prestigious and most historic tournament that we play in all year. And it's pretty special because golf's kind of got that to its brand. Anyways, so the Open, it's probably the coolest trophy that our sport has to offer. And so to kind of have it in my possession is great, but it'll be pretty sad to give it back, hopefully for only a week.

[Interviewer]

What's it like to defend the title versus going into a tournament you haven't won before? Is that added pressure? Does it make it easier? I've already won this thing. Or how do you approach that?

[Jordan Spieth]

Yeah, I've. I Haven't felt that it makes much of a difference. And especially with a tournament like the Open where we go to a different golf course, it's not like you're going back with the same memories on the same course. And on some tournaments where that is the case, I've looked at it positively where I know I'm able to do it on this golf course. We've done it before. You know, the hardest part is not comparing the previous years and trying to live up to that year. Because every tournament, whether you win or you don't, is a totally different path. And you never have two wins that are the same. There's always some form of excitement or honestly, if ideally some kind of mundaneness to it, which isn't great for the person watching. But the more boring we can make it, the better as a golfer.

[Interviewer]

Well, you certainly didn't do that last year.

[Jordan Spieth]

No, that was. If I had to script it out myself, I would have probably taken a different route.

[Interviewer]

When you go back and watch that, does it blow your mind how you pulled that off, moving the media trucks and the whole thing? I mean, it was.

[Jordan Spieth]

Yeah, I guess what blows my mind a little bit is the internal struggle I was going through that day. The battle mentally through those four hours of falling and losing a lead and getting into the negative thoughts of what happens if I don't win. Is that a big disappointment? Are those going to be questions to answer again and again and again? Do you lose belief in yourself? I mean, this is all stuff that can pop into your head while you're playing. And I think just the ability to kind of block that out and zero in and kind of make a turnaround for the last five holes of the tournament and play the best five hole stretch of golf I've ever played, from some of the worst golf I've ever played leading up to it. Just as kind of crazy and long as that day seemed, the absolute just switch that flipped is kind of. I look back and I know what I did, which is great, but I'm surprised at how effective it was.

[Interviewer]

Would you go birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie?

[Jordan Spieth]

I went birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie, par to finish par.

[Interviewer]

Right. So how do you do that? Because people who aren't elite athletes, but people who understand how mental the game of golf is, don't get how you could just shut that out. How you don't start thinking about other tournaments where maybe it came undone for you a little bit. What's the secret to that mentally, or.

[Willie Geist]

Do you even know?

[Jordan Spieth]

I'll probably I'll have some more experiences, I think, similar to it and maybe be able to write about it someday. But for me, in this instance, it was, it was being very focused on the process. It was creating a new goal, a new tournament, a new scenario. With five holes to go, I went from the 13th green, felt like I stole a shot out. I was now the chaser instead of the person being chased. And that freed me up a bit. It allowed me to play with more aggressive swings. But most importantly, when I walked off that green before the next tee box on the 14th hole, I was able to completely throw out everything that had just happened and set a completely new goal that, hey, I'm one down to Matt. But I know that if I play these holes this way, all that preparation that went in, if I hit this shot here, but if it misses, it's here. Same on the next hole. If I just take it, you know, one shot where I know where the best miss is and I know I'm striking the ball well, I'm going to give myself enough putting opportunities that I should have a putt to win each hole coming in. And that was my goal, is to have a putt from inside of him. Because now all of a sudden he's going to play a little safer, right? I've kind of had the wheels fall off, and so he's going to play a conservative type finish. And I've just got to be the one that has that next putt that, that I can win that hole on. Just take it one hole at a time.

[Interviewer]

Have a short memory too, right? That helps exactly that.

[Jordan Spieth]

That so focused on that next hole going forward that you, that you can forget about what happened before. That's the toughest part in golf, is to forget about the last shot and focus on the next. And there's been plenty of times where I've tried and not been able to do it, but I was able to garner that focus that Sunday.

[Interviewer]

So you're going to go outside in a few minutes and have a clinic, a junior clinic for a bunch of kids who look up to you in the way you looked up to other players when you were about their age. And the truth is, at your age of 24, it wasn't that long ago that you were those kids. It's gotta be incredibly cool for you to be able to hold a clinic like this, to do the work you do through your foundation and to sort of give back in a way that you hope some guys you knew growing up might be able to do for You?

[Jordan Spieth]

Yeah, I think a lot of the credit is owed to my predecessors on the Tour. On the PGA Tour, this is not abnormal. This is. The majority of guys recognize the situation they're in. They set up foundations and they're able to go out and do stuff with junior golf, whether it's clinics or it's, you know, donations are being involved with the first tee or drive, tip and putt. These other initiatives that are, you know, growing and becoming really great outlets for anybody to be able to play golf, which is. Obviously, golf's historically been looked at as kind of a, you know, higher income sport, but that's not necessarily the case anymore with these other initiatives that are growing. So I remember it probably was only like six or seven years ago where I was watching PGA Tour players give clinics and sitting there going, you know, honestly, I mean, just the competitor in me, I was like, yeah, that's not that great. I know I can do that. And so I'm out here with these, you know, top junior golfers in the country, and I know that they're sitting there going, yeah, okay, I know how to hit a draw on a fade. And like, the normal clinic stuff doesn't work because they can all do that. So I think that what I'm able to offer is more of a glimpse into preparation as you continue to go level to level to level through amateur golf, college golf, professional golf, and give them kind of a glimpse into what a daily routine is and how that changes and takes shape and how to kind of rest and recover. Honestly, these guys and girls love to play golf. They love to practice, and they're doing it all the time. And I used to. I used to be at the course every day, all day, but playing more tournaments and longer tournaments, four round events, and having it be kind of your life and your career, you have to learn the balance of the recovery. And I think I can actually help more with that than I can just the physical side of hitting golf balls.

[Interviewer]

Your family talks about you choosing to be outside in the 100 degree summer heat of Dallas and practicing every day as a kid, practicing as you came up through juniors. Do you remember the moment when your love of golf set in and you said, I know I want to be a professional golfer.

[Jordan Spieth]

Those are probably two different points. The love of golf and then the wanting to be a professional golfer, or at least recognizing that it could be a reality. The first part, the falling in love with the game. I was 12, turning 13, and that's when I really started to, you know, want to be at the golf course every single day in the summer. We had a great group of juniors at the Club Brookhaven that I grew up at here in the Dallas area. And they were all a little older than me, anywhere from, you know, 14 years old to 17 years old. But we were all kind of on a similar skill level. And so we'd go out and just. We'd spend the entire day at the course. But it wasn't all just grinding on the range. Like, we'd go hit some balls, but then we'd play after we're done playing, we'd go play flag football in the parking lot. And then once someone hit a car and the car alarm went off, we'd have to go back and we'd end up playing another nine holes in the evening. And I just loved spending the time out at the club and with that group of friends. And I started to realize that the work that I was putting in on course, that the ball was in my hands, that I was the one with the last shot, with three seconds left on the shot clock, that, you know, I was in control of my own destiny. And I started to see that in tournament results. And I started to shoot some really low scores that were just so much fun to shoot when I was like anywhere from 12 to 15 years old. And it was probably when I was 15 and I had kind of risen up in the rankings and I won the US Junior in New Jersey. And it was at that moment where I kind of looked at it like, man, this. This could be a reality someday to play on the tour. And I love the idea of it, too, because I love the game so much.

[Interviewer]

So that gets us to 16 year old Jordan Spieth writing a letter trying to get a sponsor exemption for the Byron Nelson. What gave you the confidence to sit down at 16 years old and ask to go play in a PGA tournament?

[Jordan Spieth]

My dad, you know, he. It's the right thing to do. It's what a lot of players are doing, whether they're juniors, amateurs, or professionals, to try and get exemptions. But my dad helped me write that letter and kind of word it the right way. I knew that there was a chance I could get it. I thought that it would probably be the next year. But I just wrote a letter saying, this is what I've been able to do. I've committed to the University of Texas. And I kind of threw that in there because a lot of the guys on the committee or University of Texas a lot. So I thought that that might help. Yeah. So I was Kind of sucking up a little bit, but also playing to the, you know, the strings I needed to play to. But I remember getting the call. I was in class my junior year at Jesuit here in Dallas, and I remember getting a call, you know, phone vibrating. And I checked it after, after that class was over, and I probably checked it during the class, let's be honest. And I saw that it was a number. It was around the time that they were going to be giving exemptions out. And so I saw there was a voicemail. And I listened to it and it was the tournament chairman. And so I ran outside after class was ended and made a call in the courtyard. And he said that I got the exemption. And I was at the course even longer the next few evenings, preparing, even though it was two or three months off.

[Interviewer]

Well, it paid off, obviously, because you finished 16th at 16 years old in that tournament when you walked away on Sunday, what did you know about yourself from that experience? Did you say, okay, now I know I can do this professionally?

[Jordan Spieth]

Yeah, I actually learned a lot. I learned a lot. I did a. I was proud of sitting back and not kind of over hyping it, but instead looking at how these other guys were practicing in a tournament week, what they were working on, how they were working, how much time they were spending at the course. I played practice rounds with some of the veterans. I remember playing with Justin Leonard, University of Texas alum and an Open Championship winner and a multiple time PGA Tour winner. So somebody who had been through the ropes, Gary Woodland, another guy who had been on tour for a while, really powerful player and now a good friend of mine and just trying to, trying to learn. But I also, at the end of the week, it was okay. I felt like I played well, but I felt like I could have played better. I felt like teeter green. I wasn't really that strong. You know, I putted pretty well, I chipped pretty well. But one of the guys I was paired with the first two days was actually leading the golf tournament and almost won it. And so I was able to see what that looked like firsthand. Guys that were what it took to lead a golf tournament through a couple days. And I was kind of fortunate that it worked out that way.

[Interviewer]

So you weren't just happy to be there, you were competitive once you were there, for sure.

[Jordan Spieth]

Absolutely. I didn't know any other way. I guess still don't.

[Interviewer]

And then a few years later, as we Fast forward, at 19 years old, you win your first professional tournament. What did that feel like as a kid? Who was still, who just left college essentially and now is winning on the PGA Tour.

[Jordan Spieth]

At the time, I felt like I was playing with house money. I started the year with no status anywhere. And I was off of the same exemptions, writing letters the beginning of the year to try and get exemptions into tournaments without a job, and then worked my way into a PGA Tour card status for the year and a card for the next year prior to that tournament. So I felt like I was playing with house money, which is just all you need in golf is to feel that way while you're playing, to be able to feel the freedom and the fearlessness that it takes to win. And, you know, I got a little fortunate. I hold a bunker shot on my last hole of regulation that was going a little by the hole and hit the pin and went in and then outlasted kind of a five hole playoff, making pars. And it was enough. And it was a whirlwind because I hopped on a plane that night to go to the Open Championship that I wasn't in until, you know, I got the last spot because of winning the John Deere. It was just a. I don't really feel like I got the time to enjoy or recognize what had happened that year. But that cemented me as like a full time member on tour. I could then play in the playoffs and I was able to work my way onto the President's cup team and represent the United States with the best players from our country. Later that year, I had turned 20 years old and it was just kind of bizarre. I mean, it was the year before I was in college watching and just hoping that someday I'd get a chance to play in a Ryder cup or President's cup. And watching these guys compete in the majors and knowing that I was going to start my journey professionally soon, but thinking it might take three or four years, and within 12 months it was a reality. It was crazy.

[Interviewer]

And your rookie of the year and everybody who follows golf and on tour knows who you are. But I think it's fair to say it was the 2014 Masters where you came that close to winning the thing at 20 years old where the rest of the world opened its eyes and said, who is this guy? And you became a household name. Do you remember what that experience in that tournament did, not just for your confidence, but for your life and your career in terms of your visibility and your celebrity and people knowing who you are?

[Jordan Spieth]

Yeah, a bit. You know, the Masters is different from any other tournament. It just, it has a non Golf audience that's, you know, much more vast than any PGA Tour event or major. It just has that, you know, that kind of prestigious label to it and that brand, the green jacket. And I didn't feel any extra pressure that day other than I had put myself in very few positions to win on a Sunday, given I had only had less than a year on as a Tour member up until that moment. But I didn't feel like I couldn't do it. I felt like I certainly had the capabilities. And I came out on Sunday, you know, three under through seven, and taken the lead by two or three shots, and my game felt great. And I just, you know, I made a couple mistakes, a couple kind of rookie mistakes of backing off instead of keeping the pedal down, losing a little bit of patience. And I lost to Bubba Watson, a guy who had already been through and won a Masters two years before. And I was able to look back on what he did that day that I didn't do. But I recognized a little bit about. Recognized a little bit of the added kind of exposure and being recognized more often places than I was before. But it took another level after winning it in 2015. That was where the celebrity status kind of took a major growth, I guess, which isn't what most people do it for, and especially not myself, but it kind of comes with the territory of what we love to do.

[Interviewer]

Well, by all accounts, you've done really well with all the attention you get. You've sort of. You remembered who you are, you've kept your family close. So when you win in 15, the Masters and a US Open, and do what you did at the, at the Masters, which is tying Tigers record for the 72 hole score and all the rest of it. And you're starting to be mentioned with names just in terms of achievements, like Jack Nicklaus, you know, the youngest to win three legs of the slam, and Tiger woods and Ben Hogan talking about the US Open. In terms of your age, how do you. And how did you then keep your life normal when everything around you is changing?

[Jordan Spieth]

It definitely changed a bit, right? I mean, I, you know, I moved into a bigger house and I got a new car and like, you know, like the. It wasn't like I was still in the apartment that I was in, you know, my first year on Tour, and I wasn't driving the same car that I did. And I kind of regret not staying in that stage longer and longer and longer, but it was. I just feel very fortunate that, I mean, I was raised by parents who preached humility very much so. Setting goals, being very focused on having fun. I mean like legitimately just having fun. And it's so easy when you get these expectations and you get to a certain status where you have haters, you have people that just want to see you fail. It's just what happens. But the initial reaction of seeing that at 21, 22 years old, it's been difficult at times making that transition over to, you know, it's actually a great thing. If you have haters, that means that you're at a certain level that only breeds that. Right? And not caring about it and not caring about the good things, the good stuff, the being talked up, the positivity is just as detrimental as focusing on the negative comments because you get very ego driven. And it's very important to be.

[Willie Geist]

More.

[Jordan Spieth]

Driven into what you just love to do every single day. And I'm starting to kind of realize that this year and not, you know, last year, last couple years were a little bit trying in the comparisons to 2015, which is only natural. And when you look back, why wouldn't that be the question that I'm being asked all the time? But it's not necessarily fair. But, you know, life's not fair and I should be very pleased with where I am in my career and look at it very positively. And at times I was looking at it as I was failing, which is crazy, right? I mean, it's kind of crazy to say, but you can get beaten down a little bit, but you can also get an oversense of kind of a, you know, an ego outlook on things and be very driven by that. And I'm starting to do a better job of getting back to the 12 year old that fell in love with the game and getting very kind of mastery driven, very focused on the process and getting lost in the practice and the competing.

[Interviewer]

Well, I was surprised to read that after the 2016 Masters, you said you sort of stopped loving going to the golf course for a while and that it hung over your head for that season and haunted you a little bit. How did you shake that? Because it was such a public spectacle and a tournament you had won the year before. How did you come out of that?

[Jordan Spieth]

Well, I think the. It was kind of a process, right? I mean, I, I shouldn't have needed any results because in general I didn't do anything wrong except for execute, you know, the wrong way. And that happens. I mean, in our sport, you know, you just go through mis execution. It was poorly timed shots at the poorly, poorly timed positions. But it wasn't because of the moment. It was just, you know, I actually wasn't hitting the ball that well that week. I was getting away with it, and then finally, you know, it caught up with me on the, you know, on the wrong hole and where I couldn't miss it short, right where that was my miss the whole week. So I looked at it from a. When I started to look at it from a execution standpoint and a very on course standpoint, it actually helped a lot because I said, okay, what am I going to do to get better so that I'm more consistent with my ball striking? And in 2017, I did that. I ended up, you know, Teeter Green being ranked second in tour for. For the year, and struck the ball the best I'd ever hit it in my life. And that. That was driven by being in a scenario where, you know, the pressure's heightened, but then you don't necessarily execute. And looking at it as. That's part of the game, that's part of the learning curve helped a lot. The results obviously help. You know, I won three or four tournaments later in Fort Worth at a hometown event, closing a tournament out kind of in dramatic fashion with, like, a chip in and a long putt. And then last year's Open Championship, being in a similar situation, losing a lead in a major on the back nine, and being able to draw off the good and the bad from experiences prior and flipped the switch, set a new goal. And to win that week kind of got it to its last leg. And then I had to get over number 12 myself at Augusta. And then this year on Sunday, I stood up there in between clubs, hit the smart shot and birdied it. And I kind of laughed. And, you know, I gave a reaction on the tee. Cause it was the first time I hadn't hit it in the water on a Sunday there probably ever. It's just a bad number, bad pin. But again, it's not situational. It's just one of those shots where my miss is just the bad miss on that hole right on that day, because the pins on the right side. So it's not the way the public looks at it, but I don't need to try and convince anybody else. And I got very focused on myself, and I was able to kind of go about it that way.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Because the public wants to make about the pressure of Sunday at the Masters. And for you, it wasn't that.

[Jordan Spieth]

Well, no, and it shouldn't have. Shouldn't have necessarily shown that way, because if that's going to come up. It's not going to come up on, you know, the, the 12th hole with a nine iron. It would come up on, you know, a much harder situation than that. Whether it's just getting started the first few holes or it's 16, 17, 18, right when you're trying to get it done at the end. For me, it just missed execution in the middle of the round and almost brought it back at the end. And you know, unfortunately, because of, because it's a Masters and because. The hole and, you know, losing a lead, that's what made it kind of this huge negative blow up. But it really wasn't. It was just, like I said, the on course execution and the looking at it that way. It's just very difficult for a while to look at it that way because all I'm questioned about is the other side of it.

[Interviewer]

Right to your point about the haters, I don't know if you saw this quote. Rory McElroy said the other day that you are the most underrated player in golf. He said he and Snedeker were having a conversation about how you're actually underrated, as great as you are and all the things you've done that because you're that great. They try to nitpick and find negative stuff. Do you think you're an underrated golfer?

[Jordan Spieth]

I don't really care about ratings. I mean, to be honest, at this point, I've, I've gotten to not really, not really care about ratings. I, I would say there's actually somebody who I think is the most underrated player on the PGA Tour. It's Mark Leishman. Not necessarily a household name yet, but somebody who's, I would say, is the most underrated. So I don't know. It's, it's a, it's an incredibly nice thing for those guys to say, a couple friends of mine, but I'm trying hard to be, you know, very against any kind of ratings or focus from the outside and, and again, just do what I love to do, because I love to do it and try to win. Not because I want the trophy, but because the process of competing is so much fun for me.

[Interviewer]

Part of the fun of watching you rise over the last few years is, is seeing your family celebrated with you, your parents and your brother and your sister Ellie. Can you just talk a little bit about Ellie and what she means to you and your family and how nice it must be to have her at your side through all this?

[Jordan Spieth]

Yeah, Ellie's been mine and my brother's biggest inspiration. Cheerleader. Through everything, she's, she's grown into like a young woman now, which is like bizarre and not really cool to think about, to be honest. But she's, she's, she's amazing. She's so much fun to be around. Yeah. To have her out at golf tournaments and for her, whether it's good or bad, to give you a hug at the end and not really caring or knowing what the results are, I mean, it makes you recognize where happiness comes from. It's not from results, you know, it's not, it's, it's, it's in the little things. It's in controlling, you know, how you look, how your outlook is on life. And you can control that. I mean, and she shows that. And it's, it really is so much fun having her out there when she's able to come out and be a part of a tournament.

[Interviewer]

I love hearing that your parents philosophy treated all three of you exactly equally. Yes, you were the golf prodigy, but Ellie was going to get every bit as much attention as you were or your brother were at his basketball game. And I think that probably contributes to your humility as you sit here today.

[Jordan Spieth]

Yeah, I mean, I'd argue that, that Ellie being the baby was probably a little more spoiled than we were. They probably treated her a little bit easier than us two. But, you know, I'm very type A and firstborn. And then Stephen's a pretty typical, you know, personality. He has more patience than me, less stubborn. And then, you know, Ellie's more the baby. But yeah, I mean, very fortunate the way we were raised. Certainly don't take a day without counting my blessings for that. For sure.

[Interviewer]

I think we're gonna go hit some golf balls in a sec. But when I ask you about these kids looking up to you, one of the guys you looked up to growing up is Tiger woods, of course, as every young golfer did. What's your assessment of where his game is right now? So many people are wondering, can he win the four more majors? Do you think he's still got it.

[Jordan Spieth]

In him to win four more majors or to compete and to continue to.

[Interviewer]

Compete and maybe get to Jack at 18 majors?

[Jordan Spieth]

You know, winning, winning a major is so difficult. Just because he's won 14 before doesn't mean that that next one's any easier than anyone that he's won before. In fact, the next one could be harder than anyone he's ever had to win. I believe, having played a number of rounds with him now this year, that he's back as a solid contender and a one of the top PGA Tour players in the game right now. And therefore he's fully capable of winning any tournament that he plays in. And that's probably the easiest way to leave it. He is 100%. His game and his health and everything's in a situation where he's happy. He's happier off the golf course probably than he's ever been. He's been more, you know, involved with his kids. He's been more involved with us players. He's got, you know, probably more friends than he had. It's hard for me to speak to that because I wasn't out here when, you know, he was in his, you know, 0405, you know, just winning 12 times a year. But he seems to want to grow the game and really help us out, which is amazing. Right? For us growing up, watching this guy dominate to now, he's like, you know, reaching in and trying to help us out. It's just, it's a bizarre scenario, but a really cool one at that.

[Interviewer]

Kind of a dream come true for a young golfer.

[Jordan Spieth]

Yeah, it wasn't even really like you never really even dreamt it. You didn't really even think that it could happen. You just wanted to be able to compete with him on a Sunday. But now, you know, he's looking at your game and offering, you know, advice if you ask for it. And it's invaluable and it's. Yeah, it's just very cool. But he's certainly capable of winning any tournament he plays in right now.

[Willie Geist]

Cool.

[Interviewer]

Thank you, man. Absolutely appreciate it.

[Willie Geist]

My thanks to Jordan for that conversation and for bearing with my golf skills. God, I topped those first two.

[Interviewer]

I wish I could have him back. Or maybe I should have just pulled out Driver.

[Willie Geist]

He said I shouldn't.

[Interviewer]

I don't know.

[Willie Geist]

Be sure to follow Jordan as he looks to defend his title at the British Open starting July 19 on the golf Channel. And thanks again to all of you for checking us out to hear more of the full length conversations with all my guests every week. Be sure to click subscribe, subscribe so.

[Interviewer]

You never miss an episode.

[Willie Geist]

And don't forget to tune in to.

[Interviewer]

Sunday Today every Sunday on NBC. I'm Willie Geiss.

[Willie Geist]

Thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit down podcast.

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