Jordan Spieth and his caddie, Michael Greller, compete in tandem during golf tournaments. Much of their other time together is spent jousting one another.
They compete at table tennis. Cards. Pool. Fishing. They have impromptu putting and chipping contests. They argue the merits of colleges: Spieth’s beloved Texas vs. Greller’s cherished Michigan.
In most other respects 21-year-old Dallas native Spieth and 37-year-old Pacific Northwest resident Greller are pro golf’s odd couple, but they’ve channeled their competitive natures into Spieth becoming the world’s No. 2-ranked golfer.
“I think one reason we hit it off so well is I don’t back down from him at all,” Greller said. “I don’t care that he’s Jordan Spieth. To me he’s the same guy I met four years ago. I want to stick it to him so he doesn’t stick it to me.”
In December 2012, when Spieth decided to turn pro midway through his sophomore year at Texas, he gambled by asking little-known, relatively inexperienced Greller to be his caddie.
Greller’s decision to accept, though, might have been the bigger personal risk. Caddying was a hobby to him, something he did during summers between teaching sixth-grade math and science at Narrows View Intermediate School in University Place, Wash., near Tacoma.
He had met and first caddied for Spieth at the 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash., with Spieth winning the event for the second time in three years.
When Spieth’s father, Shawn, called with the caddie-job offer, Greller was nearing holiday break, 10 years into his teaching career.
To caddie for Spieth, he would need to take a one-year leave of absence from teaching — never mind that Spieth was entering the 2013 season with no PGA Tour or Web.com Tour playing status other than seven potential sponsor’s exemptions.
Spieth needed to make at least $101,295 in those seven tournaments to earn unlimited exemptions; otherwise he and Greller would spend the rest of the year toiling on far less lucrative mini-tours.
Cha-ching. Spieth made $521,893 in his first four events. Soon after, Greller phoned Narrowsview Intermediate School and made his leave of absence permanent.
“The caddie thing was kind of just a fun thing to do in the summertime, and it kept getting more fun,” Greller said. “I haven’t stopped having fun.”
Barely two years after their momentous start together, Spieth is coming off a second-place tie at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and has $13,881,721 in career earnings entering this week’s AT&T Byron Nelson at the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas.
“Mike’s my right-hand man,” Spieth said. “He’s the only other guy on course who can help influence what happens.
“He’s doing a great job for me. And each week we’re learning a little bit more. Still are.”