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Top Five Incendiary Storylines from the 2019 PGA Tour Season

By Benjamin Criswell

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 25: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates after winning on the 18th green during the final round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on August 25, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 25: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates after winning on the 18th green during the final round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on August 25, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) /
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FORT WORTH, TX – MAY 27: Jordan Spieth and caddie Michael Greller walk down the second fairway during Round Three of the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational at Colonial Country Club on May 27, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – MAY 27: Jordan Spieth and caddie Michael Greller walk down the second fairway during Round Three of the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational at Colonial Country Club on May 27, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

4. Fixing Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth’s incendiary nature is twofold: (1) His game has fallen off a cliff and (2) His tee-shot at the eighth hole at Pebble Beach literally fell off a cliff.

Not too long ago, Spieth was the golden boy of the PGA Tour, winning 10 times in just three years from 2015-2017, including three majors. Spieth, however, hasn’t won since 2017 and just missed the Tour Championship and will likely miss this year’s President’s Cup.

Spieth’s fall from grace has been inexplicable, although not for the lack of detective work by the golf media. Anyone with even a loose connection to golf has a way to “fix Jordan Spieth.” In fact, “Fixing Jordan Spieth” was probably the most prevalent headline of 2019. It’s the driver. It’s his iron-play. He doesn’t have the mental toughness anymore. He should fire his caddie!

What’s even more interesting than Spieth’s technical issues, are his perception issues. Remember when Spieth called the 18th hole at Chamber’s bay, “The dumbest hole I’ve ever played in my life”? At the moment, it wasn’t a great look for a player with a chance to win the U.S. Open to call the host venue “dumb.” But the line was filed away for later use after Dustin Johnson three-putted the 18th handing the 2015 U.S. Open to Spieth.

While we can ignore comments like these when Spieth is winning five times in a single year, it is harder to do so when he is not.

At the U.S. Open this year, Spieth was lambasted for, well, lambasting his caddie, Michael Greller. On the eighth hole at Pebble Beach, Greller first selected the club for Spieth’s tee-shot which fell off a cliff, and then selected the club for Spieth’s approach, which flew over the green.

When Spieth took issue with the numbers Greller had given, social media skewered him with the same fervor it has defended Andrew Luck’s retirement with. He’s the one who hit the shot! It’s nobody’s fault but his! This argument fails to understand why a good caddie is valuable. 

The reality of the Spieth situation is that he is still a very good player. He just isn’t as good as he once was (right now). And if there is anything this world likes, it is watching someone who is young, rich, and famous, struggle.

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