Jordan Spieth has become a fan favorite over the years partly because of the three major championships he won earlier in his career, but also because of how dramatic and weird almost every round of his can be.
From risking his life and almost falling off a cliff in Pebble Beach a few years ago, to almost always having to hit out of a tree or some other impediment that an errant shot of his finds during a round, riding the Spieth train can be an electrifying journey for fans of the 32-year-old golfer.
On Friday at the Masters, Spieth seemed to get a lot of help from one of those fans when his bad tee shot on the 9th hole struck a man’s hand in the left trees and then bounced out into the fairway. Spieth would go on to make par on the challenging par 4 and make the turn at 1-under.
If Spieth’s ball didn’t hit that man, it could have ended up behind some trees and might have led to a score much worse than par. Needless to say, Spieth was more than happy with the result and signed a glove for the fan, as per custom for a pro golfer to do when they nail someone in the crowd with a bad shot.
Here’s that moment:
Jordan Spieth's tee shot ended up in the fairway after it bounced off a patron 😳
— ESPN (@espn) April 10, 2026
Spieth went to check on him and gave him a signed glove 🤝 pic.twitter.com/i42qPCJymA
That’s some classic Jordan Spieth right there. If he goes on to contend this weekend and, gulp, even goes on to win, you have to think that bounce off fan’s hand will be replayed for years to come.
Jordan Spieth’s most heartbreaking moment at the Masters
While that was a nice save from the golf gods, Spieth knows all about things taking a horrible turn in an instant at Augusta National.
In the final round of the 2016 Masters, Spieth held a one-shot lead heading into the legendary par-3 12th hole. He then put two balls in the water, made a quadruple-bogey seven, and found himself trailing by three shots while making his way to the 13th tee. Spieth would go on to lose that Masters by three shots to Danny Willet and he hasn’t been a serious contender at Augusta ever since.
"Big picture? This one will hurt," Spieth said after that final round.
No kidding.
Jordan Spieth’s scariest shot of his career
Spieth literally risked his life to hit an approach shot at the 2022 AT&T Championship at famed Pebble Beach. His drive on the par-4 eighth hole came to rest just shy of the cliff that falls down to the cove. Instead of taking a drop and moving the ball to a safer spot, he hit the shot from the edge of the cliff and quickly ran backwards after making contact with the ball.
He was able to go on save, not only his life, but also par.
“Let’s not shift our weight forward or we might die,” Spieth told Golf.com about that shot. “That’s probably the weirdest [swing thought] I’ve ever had.”
Where Spieth stands at the 2026 Masters
Spieth is currently at even par through 13 holes after making a bogey on the 12th. He should be able to not only make the cut, but make himself part of the conversation this weekend.
If he does, he should probably thank that fan again.
More Masters from Sports Illustrated
- Rory McIlroy Could Accomplish Two of His Favorite Things and It’s Exactly What This Masters Needs
- Players Puzzled by Augusta National's 'Softened' Greens
- Good, Bad and Ugly Masters Round 2: Rory’s Record-Setting Day
- 2026 Masters Cut: Bryson DeChambeau Among Notables to Miss Cut at Augusta
- Masters Round 3 Tee Times: Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns in Final Group Saturday
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jordan Spieth’s 2026 Masters Might Have Just Been Saved by a Fan, Because of Course It Was.
