Jordan Spieth Just Reminded Us Why He's the World's Most Exciting Golfer

Jordan Spieth says that his wife Annie never comments on his golf. But when he saw her after Saturday’s third round at the RBC Heritage, she couldn’t help but offer a simple piece of advice.

“You need to take five seconds, if you miss a putt, before you hit your tap-in.”

The comment came as a direct response to the way in which Spieth’s Saturday ended: with a missed one-footer on the 18th green. The subtext of Annie’s advice was clear: Her husband might be an even better golfer if he wasn’t so damn thrilling to watch.

If this weekend in Hilton Head proved anything, it’s that when Spieth is anywhere near contention, golf fans need to get near a television. The RBC falls directly in the Masters hangover zone; we couldn’t possibly have been expected to care about another golf tournament just a week after Augusta wrapped. But we tuned in anyway because it’s Jordan Spieth, because we’ve watched him grow up on the PGA Tour, because we’ve seen him go from phenom to struggling artist to family man to reinvented golfer, all before the age of 29.

It’s a testament to the Jordan Spieth Experience that golf fans enthusiastically re-boarded the PGA Tour carousel, but reboard we did. And those of us tuning into the action from Harbour Town were rewarded with a thrilling Sunday in which a dozen or more players had a chance to win coming down the stretch. We saw strange penalties, chip shots into the water, crucial made and missed putts, rallies and meltdowns. It was an exciting day with exciting twists and turns, and the golfer left standing at the end was the most exciting of all.

Photos From the 2022 RBC Heritage

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth celebrates with son Sammy Spieth and wife Annie Verret after winning the RBC Heritage in a playoff at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth poses with the trophy after winning the RBC Heritage in a playoff at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth speaks to the crowd after winning the RBC Heritage in a playoff at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth is awarded the trophy after winning the RBC Heritage in a playoff at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth is awarded a plaid jacket after winning the RBC Heritage in a playoff at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth and caddie Michael Greller pose with the trophy after winning the RBC Heritage in a playoff at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth poses with the trophy with wife Annie Verret and son Sammy Spieth after winning the RBC Heritage in a playoff at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth and caddie Michael Greller pose with the trophy with their families after winning the RBC Heritage in a playoff at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth and wife Annie Verret celebrate with son Sammy on the 18th green after Spieth beat Patrick Cantlay in a playoff to win the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Michael Greller, caddie for Jordan Spieth, celebrates with his family on the 18th green after Spieth beat Patrick Cantlay in a playoff during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth and caddie Michael Greller celebrate on the 18th green after defeating Patrick Cantlay in a playoff to win the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth (L) and Patrick Cantlay shake hands on the 18th green after Spieth defeated Cantlay in a playoff to win the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth looks on from the 18th green in a playoff during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth follows his shot from the bunker on the 18th hole in a playoff during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth follows his shot from the bunker on the 18th hole in a playoff during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth plays his shot from the bunker on the 18th green in a playoff during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Patrick Cantlay (L) and Jordan Spieth walk across the 18th hole in a playoff during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth reacts after making birdie on the 18th green during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth plays his shot on the 11th hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth reacts after making birdie on the eighth green during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Jordan Spieth lines up a putt on the eighth green during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 16: Jordan Spieth plays his shot from the 18th tee during the third round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 16, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 16: Jordan Spieth plays his shot on the ninth hole during the third round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 16, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 16: Jordan Spieth plays his shot from the eighth tee during the third round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 16, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 15: Jordan Spieth reacts after making birdie on the 13th green during the second round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 15, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 15: Jordan Spieth and caddie Michael Greller fist bump on the 12th hole during the second round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 15, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 14: Jordan Spieth putts on the 11th green during the first round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 14, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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  HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 14: Jordan Spieth plays his shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 14, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

How did Spieth explain his final-round 66? One reporter suggested it was an “unbelievable rollercoaster.” Spieth shrugged that off.

“It felt like a round of golf,” he said matter-of-factly. “It felt like a Sunday on the PGA Tour.”

Not all rounds of golf are created equal. And no other golfer is created like Jordan Spieth. His Sunday featured two eagles in his first five holes, a must-make 10-footer for birdie on 18 and a clutch up-and-down from the bunker in a playoff. His ability to present that as just another day at the office reminds us: Spieth is used to getting wild.

That’s his way, after all. Impossible shots look easy. Easy shots look impossible. It’s never boring, and it’s never simple, and the moment you think you’ve figured out how his tournament is going to go is typically followed quickly by the moment you realize you’re wrong.