Opinion & Analysis

Golf has a cruel way of exposing a human, doesn’t it?

Published

10 years ago

Apr 11, 2016

There’s no feeling like embarrassment.

Anger is easily overcome, especially in golf. Maybe you break a club, throw a golf ball into a lake, or mutter a four-letter word. But the feeling doesn’t last very long after you pick up your broken golf shaft and your face cools down from beat red to its normal hue.

Disappointment is a little more difficult. You had expectations for yourself, and for whatever reason you didn’t meet those goals. It hurts, but the feeling isn’t forever. Especially if you worked hard and gave it everything you could.

But embarrassment. That’s the tough one. You can’t breathe, your knees get weak, your body starts to tingle and you just can’t wait to just get away from everyone and everything. It’s an unforgettable punch to your psyche and soul.

We all saw what appeared to be the ultimate form of embarrassment from Jordan Spieth on Sunday at the 2016 Masters at Augusta National. It was difficult to watch those two golf balls find a watery grave on hole No. 12; the second-hand embarrassment was enough to make you cover your eyes or turn away. And Spieth assuredly wanted nothing more than to hide under Hogan’s Bridge when he rinsed that second ball.

While the 22 year old — a would-be college senior — handled the remainder of the round with professionalism and class, and even left himself with a glimmer of hope down the stretch, it was clear he didn’t feel anger or disappointment, but utter embarrassment.

Walking up hole No. 18, with the tournament and the green jacket officially out of reach, he scoured over and put his hands on his head. I’m no mind reader, but you could almost hear him saying, “What have I done?”

In his short-lived golf career filled with dominance at every level — from junior golf, to amateur and college and into the pros — this may have been the first time Spieth has completely melted down on the golf course, or at least the most public; a quadruple bogey at golf’s most famous hole, during the most watched golf event in the world.

How can you not feel for the kid? The Michael Jordan crying faces on Twitter are good for a quick chuckle, but don’t forget the subject of your amusement is a 22 year old kid going through one of the worst experiences of his life.

And it will be more than interesting to see how the rest of the year plays out for Spieth, who admitted that this loss will take some time to overcome.

Will he bounce back and win a major this year? Or will it take years for Spieth to regain dominance in the majors?

Golf is a funny sport, where confidence takes years to build and mere moments to shatter. It has an uncanny way of humanizing and exposing is victims. And if Sunday proved one thing, Jordan Spieth is indeed human.

I feel for you, Jordan.

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

22 Comments

Dave

Apr 13, 2016 at 10:09 pm

I agree with Mikee. If that had been Tiger he would have been cussing and blaming on the gallery, or his caddy, or something or someone else. Spieth is handling himself surprisingly well for his age. I admire him!

Reply Report comment
Jacob

Apr 13, 2016 at 3:37 pm

Golf like life can play cruel tricks on you. My old man always used to say..in golf when you are playing good you don’t think you’ll ever play bad. And when you play bad you don’t think you’ll ever play good. But I think these 2 shots Jordan hit personifies why I play the game of golf. He’s arguably the best golfer in the world and he’s hitting shots like any regular amateur in the world. Literally playing golf you have to grind it out on every shot. One shot can win anything, but one shot can lose it all.

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David Camp

Apr 13, 2016 at 10:35 am

Hey what has been said here particularly at the end of this article is so true. How will Jordan come out of this on the other side? How long will it haunt him? Every human reacts differently. We have to cut him some slack if it takes him longer to recover than maybe someone else. If you recall, Rickie Fowler was flying high this year coming off a win in Dubai and seemingly having The Waste Management in his pocket with 2 holes to play when he too ,found a watery grave unexpectedly. Afterward in the post interview he “melted down” and I would say hasn’t really recovered yet. Just look at his Masters performance. Tour level golf is hard. Play at Augusta this year was impossible. Lets let these fine men recover in at their own pace and cut them some slack.

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Sad Smizzle

Apr 12, 2016 at 7:52 pm

Please do fall on my sword

Reply Report comment
- Sad Smizzle
  
  Apr 13, 2016 at 2:50 am
  
  Yeah that’s about all you’ve got left. Don’t worry, we’ll be rid of you very soon
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Sad Smizzle
    
    Apr 13, 2016 at 12:38 pm
    
    Yes I always talk big, glad you enjoy being at your small size
    
    Reply Report comment
- Al Czervik
  
  Apr 13, 2016 at 3:13 pm
  
  This is literally the only time I have ever rolled on the floor and laughed my arse off. Still wiping the tears from my eyes…
  
  Reply Report comment
cb

Apr 12, 2016 at 1:29 pm

Lets not forget it wasnt too long ago when we saw a 21 year old blow his lead mid way through the final round at the masters. That same 21 year old went on to win the US open that year. If Rory can bounce back so will Jordan. Jordan has a great future ahead of him and this will just be a learning moment for him.

Reply Report comment
- Mark Donaghy
  
  Apr 13, 2016 at 6:51 am
  
  I agree. McIlroy’s snap hook on 10 was as bad as Speith’s rinses on 12. I guess Rory shared similar emotions of being annoyed, frustrated and embarrassed but he bounced back in style at the Congressional just a few months later. Jordan will be just fine, he’ll have learned all sorts of lessons from Sunday. Knowing the talent he has he will use it as Rory did to his advantage.
  
  Reply Report comment
alexdub

Apr 12, 2016 at 12:17 pm

I think that one of the best things that can happen to a golfer is to experience a situation where they realize their own humanity. Jordan will be better off for what happened on Sunday.

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Jaosn

Apr 12, 2016 at 7:56 am

My son (10 years old) and I were glued to the TV watching Jordan. Then he put those two ball in the water on 12… my son was heart broken for him and almost could not watch the rest of the tournament. I told him this is the time to see what Jordan is truly made of. This the time when you will be able to see the person and the champion he is. Watch him… see how he handles the hardest day he has ever experienced in golf in front of millions of people… watch him. And what does Jordan do? Just what you hope he would do. He fought hard to come back and when that came up short he handled himself with dignity. He answered all those painful questions when clearly he would have wanted to be anywhere else.
I looked at my son when it was all over and said Jordan’s 2 majors are nice but what he has shown today is what makes him a true champion… never forget it.

Reply Report comment
- Shin
  
  Apr 12, 2016 at 10:47 am
  
  Hey Jason.. I never ever replied on a post before on any blog. But your post moved me. It reminded me that true wisdom is in the right perspective. I have a 8 month old.. and I hope to God that I can guide my little one like you did this weekend. Thank you for posting this.
  
  Reply Report comment
- JTW
  
  Apr 14, 2016 at 3:26 pm
  
  Thanks for this Jason
  Nice teaching moment
  
  Reply Report comment
Kna

Apr 12, 2016 at 3:35 am

How he holds himself together and do all the interviews and express himself so clearly – he’s already over it, planning for the next one and the rest of the year.

Reply Report comment
Swjake83

Apr 11, 2016 at 9:36 pm

Yea he choked. He still finished T-2. I don’t know this for a fact, but he has to have one of the highest average finishes there ever so far. Sure he was embarrassed. Sure he felt he gave it away. Sure he is mad. Sure none of us really understand it when your one of the best humans on the planet at a certain skill. Let’s just remember, he has gone 1st, T-2nd in two years. Jordan will be fine. He will get motivated, work even harder and now the rest of the field is probably in more trouble.

This is not like Norman or Johnson. Spieth has already been there and won, and you know it won’t be his last chance either.

Reply Report comment
- MarkB A
  
  Apr 11, 2016 at 9:41 pm
  
  I love all these idiots calling him a choker. Jordan has done more at age 21 then all of us will do in our life times. He almost won 4 majors last year. He made probably $35 million last year. He is a solid young man and he will be fine and will keep winning.
  
  I am very happy for for Danny Willet. He played great gold.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - timbleking
    
    Apr 12, 2016 at 4:52 am
    
    This is what I was telling myself. Gimme the money he won last year and I’d be glad to putt 2 balls into the water at the 12th.
    
    Reply Report comment
Mr B

Apr 11, 2016 at 9:11 pm

He will win big again this year no doubt.

Reply Report comment
Timmy

Apr 11, 2016 at 8:17 pm

Thank you for saying that. The amount of people who know nothing about golf yet make fun of him for his collapse is astounding.

Reply Report comment
Jason

Apr 11, 2016 at 8:14 pm

Very, very well said. He’s a 22 year old kid (yes a multimillionaire but still a kid). He goes about things the right way with all the class you could ever want from someone in his position. The Masters meltdown will take a while to recover from but hopefully it’s a mere speed bump in what should be an incredible golf career.

Reply Report comment
Mikee

Apr 11, 2016 at 7:59 pm

Yup……golf is sure like that……all alone out there…..no reliever, no substitution, no second string or 6th man , no “time out”…..but Spieth is enviable for handling everything with class, a brave face and a sportsmanship demonstrated by few professional athletes (ie. Cam Newton). How few of us could have handled that situation under ordinary day to day golf, let alone on golf’s largest stage and at age 22. An example for all.

Reply Report comment
- Scott
  
  Apr 13, 2016 at 10:41 am
  
  Well said.
  
  Reply Report comment

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Opinion & Analysis

5 Things We Learned: Thursday at the PGA Championship

Published

2 weeks ago

May 15, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Aronimink is not a storied club, but when Donald Ross himself proclaimed it to be as good as he can design and build, one had to take notice. Jay Sigel was the pre-eminent male amateur golfer from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. He might have called any number of Philadelphia clubs home, but he chose Aronimink. It served him well. Gary Player won a PGA Championship here in 1962, and was followed by the 1993 winner … nobody. Aronimink gave that event away to Inverness, for reasons of which it is certainly not proud. So be it. We had to wait sixty-four years for the PGA to return to Newtown Square, but here we are. Aronimink has been neo-restored by Gil Hanse and team, to return Ross features with an eye toward defense against the dark arts, errrr, high-tech equipment.

Day one saw Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau dig big holes, to the tune of plus-four and plus-six, respectively. Since the first-round lead will be minus-three at worst, many shots will need to be made up for the power couple to reach contention. By nightfall, seven golfers held the day-one lead at three-under par 67. Shots and sticks caught our attention, and we are proud to present Five Things We Learned on Tech Thursday at the 2026 PGA Championship. Thanks to InsideTourGolfer, Today’s Golfer, and GolfWRX for initial equipment research.

First, meet Min Woo Lee

Min Woo Lee, aka Dr. Chipinski, has once again thrust himself into the conversation of Can he, will he, when will he? Lee has so much talent, wins not nearly as often as we believe that he should, and has no major near-misses (much less titles) on his wiki. The young Aussie is getting older and wiser, but is he able to avoid the scarring that holds the older and wiser back from breaking through? Philadelphia offers another opportunity. Min Woo signed for five birdies and two bogeys on day one, and grabbed a share of the opening-day lead at Aronimink. Winners transcend history and the moment, and Lee will need that sort of ascent to lift the Wannamaker on Sunday.

Second, meet Aldrich Potgeiter

The young South African golfer can rip driver with the best of them. Aronimink tips out at nearly 7400 yards, but beyond the fairway bunkers that ensnare only the mortals, Potgeiter can take his chances with wedge from the rough. On Thursday, he spent plenty of time in the spinach. Like Popeye, he used his muscles to gouge and thrash and dig his way out. Six birdies against three bogeys on the card brought AP in a three deep.

Third, meet Martin Kaymer

Not a major event takes place without a where’s he been throwback moment. We know that Martin Kaymer left the PGA and DP World tours for LIV golf, but the two-time (US Open and PGA) major winner has a lifetime exemption into at least one major event, and he seizes the opportunity each May. Kaymer joined the six-seven brigade with four birdies and a solitary bogey on day one. Kaymer was never a long hitter, and the years are kind to no golfer. The German champion will need to uncork every bottle of guile and strategy in his cabinet to remain in contention. For today, though, he occupies a rung on the ladder of Tour Tech.

Fourth, meet Scottie Scheffler

Let’s see, he’s the defending champion at the PGA, and he found his way back to the top tier with five birdies against two bogeys. To be a favorite and then play up to that stature and expectation is quite difficult. Just ask Rory, Bryson, and some of the other pre-tournament heartthrobs. Scheffler’s game is complete, and to knock him off the OWGR #1 pedestal, one needs to defeat him at the majors. Aronimink is the sort of course that fits Scheffler’s game. Better yet, it unfits the game of many of his challengers. Don’t expect Scheffler to go away anytime soon. Come Sunday, he’ll be around.

Fifth, meet Stephan Jaeger

Clocking in for the unheralded players shift are Ryo Hisatsune and Stephan Jaeger. Hisatsune logged seven birdies on day one, but gave most of them back with four bogeys. Still, he’s tied at the top for a time. Jaeger pitched five birdies against two bogeys, including a run of three consecutive, from holes four through six. Odds are that one of the two will hang around through 36 holes. Odds also suggest that both will be gone by Saturday evening. Still, the PGA Championship has historically been the major most likely to be won by an under-known. Both Hisatsune and Jaeger feature on that list, so good luck, lads!

Club Junkie

Club Junkie’s Titleist GTS driver fitting results!

Published

2 weeks ago

May 14, 2026

Brian Knudson

On this episode of the Club Junkie Podcast, I head to the Titleist Performance Institute for a full driver fitting with the new Titleist GTS lineup. We dive into the fitting process, talk about what made the biggest difference in performance, and break down how the different GTS heads and shaft combinations compare on the launch monitor. If you are thinking about a new driver setup for this season, there is a lot to take away from this one.

I also get into Brooks Koepka and the gear setup he brought to the PGA Championship, including the putters that caught my eye during the week. There are some interesting equipment trends showing up at the highest level right now and we break down what stands out.

To wrap things up, I talk about reshafting a few wedges, what I learned during the process, and swapping an adaptor onto a new shaft for another build project in the shop. A gear packed episode from start to finish for anyone who loves golf equipment and club building.

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Club Junkie

Club Junkie WITB, week 16: New Titleist GTS woods!

Published

2 weeks ago

May 14, 2026

Brian Knudson

Excited for this week’s WITB as we get to add the new Titleist GTS woods to the bag! I was fit at Titleist’s TPI facility in Oceanside California a few weeks ago and my new clubs just showed up. I am also adding a cool set of irons that I built last year some wild custom wedges into a new golf bag. Speaking of the bag I have a new Ghost Anyday Black Ops stand bag that I will be using on my Motocaddy Remote M7 electric cart.

Driver: Titleist GTS3 (11 degrees @ 10.25)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 6s

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD CQ-7s

5-wood: Titleist GTS (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s

9-wood: Titleist GT1 (24 degress)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s

Irons: Bettinardi CB24 (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS C-Taper Lite 110 stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (50-09 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (56-12 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (60-08 LB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Putter: Dan Carraher ZT Proto

Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour

Bag: Ghost Anyday Black Ops Stand Bag