Jordan Spieth’s biggest prize for winning the Masters was telling his sister that he won

13 Apr, 2015 by Terresa Monroe-Hamilton

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I have not watched much golf since my father passed years ago – he loved the sport and it reminds me too much of him, but watching Jordan Spieth is a joy to behold. Not only is the young man a true gentleman, his talent for golf is simply inspiring. But what was even sweeter than watching him win, was how he thanked others and then embraced his family after he won. The greatest moment that we won’t see is him telling his little sister, Ellie, that he won. Ellie is a special needs child and loves Jordan with all her heart – he now gets to tell her he won.

Chris Spieth, left, watches as Jordan Spieth hugs his father Shawn after winning the Masters. (AP)

From Yahoo! Sports:

AUGUSTA – Of all the wonders and joys that will come with winning the Masters, perhaps the best for Jordan Spieth will be telling his sister, Ellie.

The golf world has marveled all week at Spieth’s poise, his perspective, his whole persona, and a lot of that comes from being around Ellie, who is 14. She is a special-needs child, and her journey has served as a touchstone for her older brother’s life.

“She’s the funniest member of our family,” Jordan said. “It’s humbling to see her and her friends and the struggles they go through each day that we take for granted – their kind of lack of patience or understanding, where it seems easy for us and it’s not for them.”

When she came to see her brother play in person for the first time last week in Houston, Ellie kept asking Jordan after every round: “Did you win? Did you win?”

And Jordan said, “Not yet.” And then, “Not yet.” And then finally, “No.”

“I can tell her I won now,” he said Sunday with a grin.

He won in a commanding, stunning, historic way: becoming the first player in Masters history to get to 19-under par before finishing at the same record 18-under par Tiger Woods posted in 1997. And while the statistics and numbers of his victory will be discussed for ages, the real victory is the one Ellie can feel. It’s the blessing of seeing her brother happy.

Spieth said he felt a rush of joy seeing his parents and brother waiting for him behind the 18th green – the first time they have seen him win a tournament as a professional – and when he was asked what the feeling might be like for Ellie watching on TV, he mentioned the excitement she would sense when she saw the family together. “Being Ellie’s brother,” Spieth wrote on his website, “humbles me every day of my life.”

[…]

“This is the greatest game, the Masters,” Shawn Spieth said. “But it’s still a game.”

[…]

And when Jordan got up to accept the green jacket, the moment every golfer cherishes as a distant ideal, he began by thanking the club members, the volunteers, and the food and beverage staff.

He then called winning The Masters “the ultimate goal in my life” before correcting himself: “my golf life.”

[…]

Perhaps what’s most remarkable about Spieth’s record performance at the Masters – he’s the first wire-to-wire winner since 1976 – is that he’s not an especially long hitter. He doesn’t crush the ball like Rory McIlroy or Tiger or Dustin Johnson. He doesn’t elicit gasps when he swings or chills when the ball rockets off his clubface.

“I’ll never hit it as far as [Rory] does,” Spieth said. “I have to make it up someplace else.”

[…]

His stealth days are over now. He will be on the monument of tour record-holders out by the 18th tee, with names like Woods, Mickelson, Nicklaus, Casper and Palmer. Woods’ heretofore unthinkable 1997 tournament is now matched: Spieth has made the incomparable comparable.

But all that is for the rest of us to ponder and debate. The real reward comes when Jordan Spieth sees his little sister and she asks him, “Did you win?”

The answer will be yes, and the moment of triumph will truly be shared.

Jordan made history and tied Tiger Wood’s record in the 1997 tournament. He did it in a professional, take-all way with poise, manners and class. That is refreshing to see and warms your heart. For a young man who has been taught that golf is just a game, Jordan rocked the golfing world this weekend and won the coveted green jacket of the Masters. And while Jordan made history on the fairway, he did it all with the love of his family and the help of friends and never forgot that. On to the next game and more wins for a legend in the making.

Jordan Spieth, left with his sister Ellie and brother Steven.