Meet the Man Behind Jordan Spieth: Michael Greller
By Matt Cochran
Jordan Spieth has certainly put together one hell of a campaign in 2015. He won the Masters in record-setting fashion and then showed up on the scene at Chambers Bay to win the U.S. Open. His last two majors may have not resulted in victories, but he still finished T-4 at St Andrews and solo second at the PGA Championship.
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Aside from his major performance, Spieth also collected two other wins in 2015 and has 14 top 10 finishes in 24 events. His success this season has even done enough to make him a candidate for the PGA TOUR Player of the Year.
Spieth’s journey has been one to remember, but it wasn’t one he made alone. Sure, he was the one making all the shots and sinking all of the putts. However, if you ask Jordan, he’ll be the first to tell you that he didn’t do it by himself.
There’s a famous proverb that goes, “Behind every great golfer is a great caddie.” In steps Michael Greller.
Just listen to Spieth following any of his victories and he’ll use the pronoun “we” more than “I”. That’s because he realizes how important his right hand man and caddie is to his success on the course. Most people are aware of Greller’s iconic image: ball cap, dark beard, and sunglasses. Other than that, not much is known about the 37 year old besides his former job as a sixth grade teacher. So how did Greller get his big break?
After playing college golf at Northwestern College in Iowa, Greller packed his bags and headed for the Pacific Northwest to be closer to his sister in Gig Harbor, Washington. It was there he would pick up caddying as a side gig during summer months when he wasn’t teaching.
When the 2006 U.S. Public Links came to Gold Mountain Golf Course, close to Greller’s house, he approached a golfer who was participating in the event, carrying his own bag and asked to caddie for him. That golfer was Matt Savage who is now the assistant golf coach at Florida State.
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After carrying Savage to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Public Links, Greller moved districts so he could be closer to Chambers Bay so he could moonlight as a caddie there.
In 2010, the U.S. Amateur was held at his new home course. After his positive experience with Greller, Savage suggested that his buddy Justin Thomas give him a shot. Thomas finished fifth in that event with 71-69 for a 140 (Spieth finished towards the bottom of the pack with 155)
The next year, the U.S. Junior Amateur was in town back at the Gold Mountain G.C. Greller was originally on the bag for Gavin Hall, but Hall withdrew two weeks before with a wrist injury. Thomas hooked the caddie up with Jordan Spieth and that’s when Greller’s life would change forever.
The two met and ended up winning the U.S. Junior Amateur. With the win, Spieth joined Tiger Woods as the only other golfer to win multiple U.S. Junior Amateurs. After such success in their first go, the two linked up again for the 2012 U.S. Open. Jordan ended up tying for 21st and was the low amateur for the event.
Spieth and Greller realized the good thing they had going and decided to stick with it. You could say Spieth took a chance on Greller, but in reality, it was the other way around. Greller told Golf Digest’s Tim Rosaforte:
"“I took a one-year leave of absence from teaching, thinking [Spieth] had no status anywhere,” Greller said. “Yes, he was the No. 1 amateur in the world, but that means nothing out here. I was getting married, had a house. To go chase this kid caddying was kind of a big risk. And then he went crazy.”"
The rest was history. Since the moment they met, the two have continued to build on the powerful relationship they have together. It takes a lot of faith for a grown man to risk his job to follow a then 20 year old around the country and carry his clubs for him, but it’s certainly paid off for Greller.
Spieth has already made over $10 million this season alone in earnings. Caddies are on different pay scales depending on the golfer, but assuming Greller is getting the normal 10% pay cut, he’s already made over $1 million in 2015. That’s more than 156 TOUR golfers have made this year.
Stevie Williams. Mike “Fluff” Cowan. Jim “Bones Mackay. And now Michael Greller.