It was more than just an amazing 18-under-par performance in that Masters that has made Jordan Spieth a national phenomenon.
While that tied the course record set by none other than Tiger Woods, it was the class and dignity the 21-year-old showed during and after the tournament that has captured the attention of a golf world sorely in need of a hero.
Kirk Bohls, a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman, covered Spieth before and during his short stay at the University of Texas and said he definitely wasn't a prima donna raised on country club golf courses.
Almost immediately after his victory, the Twitter world went to work as numerous young ladies asked if he had a girlfriend and, if not, would he like one?
Actually, Spieth is still dating his high school sweetheart, Annie Verret, who has a business degree from Texas Tech, and she and his family were waiting for him on the 18th green.
In search of more information, an Internet search revealed a birthday greeting from his mom on pgatour.com along with 20 facts about her son.
Here are a few of them:
• Spieth got started with Little Tikes plastic golf clubs when he was 18 months old to keep him busy after his younger brother Steven was born.
• He golfs right-handed but was a left-handed baseball player (pitcher/first base/center field) and still shoots a basketball left-handed.
• As a 4-year-old Texas Rangers fan, Spieth went to catch a pop-up, lost it in the lights with his dad and had his two front teeth knocked out at the ballpark.
• His grandfather is an orchestra conductor. Spieth began taking piano lessons when he was 5 years old and played for four years until sports got in the way.
• Spieth gives Ellie, his special-needs sister and inspiration, a special key chain from wherever he travels.
• Neither of his parents played golf growing up. His dad played college baseball at Lehigh University, and his mom played college basketball at Moravian College.
• Spieth broke the growth plate in his finger playing football when he was in the fifth grade.
• He failed his first driver's permit test.
• Spieth loves country music.
Spieth is turning out to be a very interesting person on the course -- he hired a sixth-grade schoolteacher with little experience as a caddie -- and off the course.
The story goes Michael Greller was attending the 2006 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and volunteered to caddie for free for Matt Savage, who is now an assistant coach at Florida State.
In 2010 Savage recommended Greller to a friend, Justin Thomas. Thomas recommended him to Spieth in 2011, and they have been together ever since.
Greller may not have known much when he started, but hard work and preparation have taken him a long way. He was caught on television before the third round talking to Carl Jackson, who directs the caddies at the Alotian Club in northwestern Pulaski County but more importantly has worked most of the Masters since 1961.
Jackson, who was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in February, probably knows that golf course better than anyone.
They spent 45 minutes going over every hole on the course. Jackson caddied many years for Ben Crenshaw, including in 1995 when Crenshaw won the Masters. He was the last Texan to do so until Spieth on Sunday.
Greller and Spieth seem to have great chemistry. Greller is laid-back, which is a nice complement to Spieth's intense competitive spirit.
Spieth is also grounded by his family, and as the spotlight of being a celebrity becomes brighter he will need more people who have been a part of his success rather than those looking to capitalize on it.
Sports on 04/15/2015