Jordan Spieth and caddie Michael Greller watch Spieth’s second shot from the woods along the 11th fairway during the first round of the Masters on Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club.
From Augusta, Ga. — They toast him with sweating plastic cups containing their last swallows of beer. They pump their sunscreened fists while screaming his name as if they were best friends.
“Jordy! Jordy! Do it, Jordy!”
They give him standing ovations when he approaches the green, then cheer so passionately when his ball disappears into the hole, they are sometimes still cheering when his partners are trying to putt. At which point, they quiet down, turn their backs on the other guys, and race to the next tee.
Their numbers are enormous. Their clamor is constant. The faces are young, the talk is boozy and the smell, for at least one day, reeked of marijuana.
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Into the void of the absent Tiger Woods has appeared a Tiger-sized army of a vastly different stripe, for a bro named Jordan Spieth, the 22-year-old defending Masters champion who walked back into Augusta on Thursday morning like he owned the joint.
Where fans once begrudgingly respected Woods, they genuinely seem to like hanging out with Spieth, who followed last year’s wire-to-wire Masters victory by jumping back into the first-day lead with a six-under-par 66.
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Danny Willett of England walks along the 15th hole during the final round of the Masters on Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
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Jordan Spieth gathers his thoughts on the 18th green before finishing the final round with a one-over 73.
(Brant Sanderlin / Atlanta Journal Constitution)
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Jordan Spieth presents Danny Willett the winner’s green jacket Sunday evening at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Andrew Redington / Getty Images)
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Augusta National chairman William Porter Payne presents American Bryson DeChambeau with the trophy for being the top amateur at the Masters during the awards ceremony Sunday evening.
(Andrew Redington / Getty Images)
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Masters champion Danny Willett gives the thumbs-up sign to fans after the awards ceremony at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
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Jordan Spieth gets a pat on the back from caddie Michael Greller on the 18th hole after finishing second at the Masters.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
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Jordan Spieth takes a second drop on the 12th hole after one of the two times his shots landed in Rae’s Creek while hitting approach shots there during the final round of the Masters tournament.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
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Jordan Spieth plays his second shot on the 11th hole from the trees during the final round of the Masters on Sunday.
(David Cannon / Getty Images)
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Danny Willett reacts after making a putt at No. 14 on Sunday during the final round of the Masters.
(Don Emert / AFP / Getty Images)
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Hideki Matsuyama of Japan chips onto a green during the final round of the Masters on Sunday.
(Don Emmert / AFP / Getty Images)
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot out of the bunker during the final round of the Masters.
(Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images)
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Lee Westwood of England reacts after making an eagle on the 15th hole during the final round of the Masters.
(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
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Jason Day of Australia reacts after playing a shot Sunday during the final round of the Masters.
(Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images)
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Patrons leave Augusta National Golf Club after the third round of the Masters.
(Andrew Gombert / EPA)
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot onto the 16th green during third round of the Masters.
(JIM WATSON / AFP/Getty Images)
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Bernhard Lange tips his cap to the crowd after putting out at No. 18 during the third round of the Masters on Saturday.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
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Jordan Spieth walks out of the trees along the 18th fairway after hitting a recovery shot during the third round of the Masters.
(Erik S. Lesser / EPA)
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Jordan Spieth hits out of the rough along the 17th fairway Saturday during the third round of the Masters.
(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
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Hideki Matsuyama of Japan plays his second shot on the 12th hole during the third round of the Masters.
(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
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Rory McIlroy reacts to a missed birdie putt on the 17th green during the third round of the Masters.
(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
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Sergio Garcia of Spain lines up a putt on the 13th green during the third round of the Masters.
(Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images)
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American Scott Piercy creates a splash of sand as he hits out of a bunker during the third round of the Masters.
(Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images)
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the 17th tee during the first round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
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Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy hits out of a bunker on the 18th green during Round 1 of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP/Getty Images)
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Ian Poulter, of England, reacts after missing a putt on the first hole during the second round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
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Danny Lee, of New Zealand, hits a drive on the second hole during the second round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
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Mike Weir of Canada hit out of a bunker on the second hole during the second round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
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Jason Day, of Australia, watches his drive on the second hole during the second round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
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Charl Schwartzel, of South Africa, hits out of a bunker on the fourth hole during the second round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
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Patrons walk along the first fairway before the start of play during the second round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
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A scorekeeper peers through a hole from behind a board during Round 1 of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(JIM WATSON / AFP/Getty Images)
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Martin Kaymer of Germany down the fairway on the fifteenth hole during the first round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(ANDREW GOMBERT / EPA)
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Australia’s Steven Bowditch putts on 1st hole during Round 1 of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in April. (DON EMMERT / AFP/Getty Images)
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Rickie Fowler hits out of the rough off the first fairway during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
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Jordan Spieth hits on the second fairway during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
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Victor Dubuisson of France and caddie Leonard Francois walk up the third fairway during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
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Amateur Bryson DeChambeau tees off on the third hole during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
(David J. Phillip / AP)
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Jordan Spieth lines up a putt on the first hole during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
(ANDREW GOMBERT / EPA)
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A scorekeeper places numbers on a leaderboard during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
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Jack Nicklaus waves before hitting a ceremonial first tee shot before the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
(Matt Slocum / AP)
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Steven Bowditch of Australia celebrates after chipping in a birdie on the first hole during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
(Matt Slocum / AP)
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Lee Westwood of England chips on the second hole during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
(TANNEN MAURY / EPA)
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A sign bearing the names of the honorary starters Gary Player of South Africa, Jack Nicklaus of the U.S. and Arnold Palmer of the U.S. before they ceremonially open the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
(TANNEN MAURY / EPA)
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Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player together on the first tee at the ceremonially opening of the first round of the 2016 Masters Tournament.
(TANNEN MAURY / EPA)
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Patrons wait for the gates to open near the first fairway before the start of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
(ANDREW GOMBERT / EPA)
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Patrons file onto the course after the gates are opened near the first fairway before the start of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
(ANDREW GOMBERT / EPA)
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Spectators line a fairway to watch the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
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Where fans were once awestruck around Woods, they act like buddies with Spieth, who has amazingly led or shared the lead in six of his last seven rounds here.
Where Woods carried himself like an aloof superstar, Spieth still comes across as a regular dude, with fans so comfortable around him they act as if he is hosting a party, which he actually did Thursday by equaling the best opening round ever by a Masters champion.
At one point, on the 17th tee, there was so much noise when Spieth’s threesome was attempting to tee off that Spieth actually stared into the crowd to ascertain the cause of the commotion. When he realized it was him, he shrugged and played on.
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“It was really, really cool to kind of feel like you belong as the Masters champion,” Spieth said later. “Not that I needed any more reason, but just that the gallery recognizes that you have won here and that this is a special place to you, and that’s kind of what it felt like to me.”
Jordan Spieth signs autographs on the ninth hole during the par-three contest on Wednesday at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Erik S. Lesser / EPA)
There was some talk before the tournament that Spieth had lost some mojo this season by winning only once with only three top-10 finishes in 10 events. But that was then, and this is Augusta. This is a tournament that the kid targets like Woods once targeted it. This is a place where the kid has yet to shoot above par in any of his nine career Masters rounds. This place fits the kid’s game to a tee, and a putter.
On a day when the wind blew so hard that Spieth’s white pants flapped like a flag, he controlled the ball across the skittish greens almost to perfection, sinking every makeable putt, saving every possible par. His greenskeeping was even more spectacular when one realizes that Hall of Famer Ernie Els required six putts just to get through the first hole.
“We were walking up 18, and he said, “I don’t know what it is about this place, but I just love putting here. I can see the break, I can see the lines,’” recounted U.S. Amateur champion Bryson DeChambeau, one of Spieth’s partners.
Spieth’s main competitor here was supposed to the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer, Jason Day. The Aussie was hot early, reaching five under after 14 holes. But then Day blew up by going bogey, triple-bogey, bogey, and finished the round at even-par 72, while Spieth finished bogey-free and two strokes ahead of Danny Lee and Shane Lowry.
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“He just exudes that sort of, what that is, that you expect from a world No. 1 major champion,” said Paul Casey, Spieth’s other playing partner. “There’s something different, something cool.”
Following Spieth feels cool. The vibe feels like a company picnic. Spieth is constantly talking to his ball and gesturing to caddie Michael Greller while fans casually talk and gesture around them. Spieth plays so quickly, sometimes his fans must police themselves with hurried “Shhhhs” before his shots. The atmosphere is so relaxed, his fans often forget there are other players.
“On [No.] 6, apparently, I tapped in a one-footer after Spieth made a 10-footer and the crowd was still clapping,” DeChambeau said with a grin. “It was a lot more fans for Spieth, I know that.”
It’s easy to be a fan for a guy who, despite nearly winning golf’s Grand Slam last year, still acts like a fan.
Earlier this week, Spieth employed his 73-year-old grandfather Donald Spieth, a college music teacher, as his caddie for the annual par-three competition. Afterward, his mother gathered the entire family around one of the greens for a photo suitable for a Christmas card.
He admits that he wore his green jacket last year during cookouts with buddies. At this week’s Champions Dinner, he served barbecue with baked beans and chocolate chip cookies. He was recently encouraged on Twitter by Golden State’s Stephen Curry. And, like only the coolest of kids, he remains wonderfully unafraid to laugh at himself.
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During his media session after Thursday’s round, Spieth noted to one of the longtime writers that, “You’re wearing a hat.”
The writer, feeling comfortable enough to jab back, said, “So are you ... thankfully.”
Spieth, who is known for frequently fussing with his rapidly receding hair, mouthed the word “Wow.”
But then he smiled, going along with the joke, from one bro to another, everyone’s Jordy.
Bill Plaschke, an L.A. Times sports columnist since 1996, is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame and California Sports Hall of Fame. He has been named national Sports Columnist of the Year nine times by the Associated Press, and twice by the Society of Professional Journalists and National Headliner Awards. He is the author of six books, including a collection of his columns entitled “Plaschke: Good Sports, Spoilsports, Foul Balls and Oddballs.” Plaschke is also a panelist on the popular ESPN daily talk show, “Around the Horn.” He is in the national Big Brothers/Big Sisters Alumni Hall of Fame and has been named Man of the Year by the Los Angeles Big Brothers/Big Sisters as well as receiving a Pursuit of Justice Award from the California Women’s Law Center. Plaschke has appeared in a movie (“Ali”), a dramatic HBO series (“Luck”) and, in a crowning cultural moment he still does not quite understand, his name can be found in a rap song “Females Welcome” by Asher Roth.
