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Jordan Spieth is playing the first round of the 2023 Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas. On the 10th hole he was T11, with a score of even par. By his side, as he has been for more than a decade, is his caddie, Michael Greller.
Jordan Spieth's caddie is recognized as one of the best on the PGA Tour. However, his story is not that of the common bagman. Greller did not make a career in golf at any level. In fact, he started out as a caddie as a way to earn extra income.
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Michael Greller was born in Michigan in 1978. He is the son of John and Jane Greller, who passed away in 2019 and 2020, respectively. He has two siblings (Tom and Katie) and his wife is named Ellie.
In 2003, Greller graduated from George Fox University with a Master of Arts in Teaching and began teaching math to sixth graders. Up to that point, it looked like he would spend the rest of his life teaching.
His life took a turn toward caddying in 2006, when he was a spectator at a golf tournament. One of the players needed a caddie and Michael Greller volunteered to carry the bag for him.
The profession charmed him, however, Michael Greller didn't immediately jump into it. He started caddying part time, as the school season was winding down. But he began to stand out and be sought after by better and better players.
That's when he got his first high-profile call. Then-amateur (and today two-time Major champion) Justin Thomas requested his services for the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship. A year later he met Jordan Spieth, when he helped him win the 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur.
Jordan Spieth and Michael Greller's journey
However, this was not the beginning of the Spieth-Greller duo so well known today on the PGA Tour. With the 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur over, Jordan Spieth moved on and Michael Greller set out to continue his teaching career.
A few more months passed. It was 2012 and Greller was about to take a sabbatical, when he received the call that really changed his life forever. On the other end of the phone, Jordan Spieth's father, Shawn, was again seeking his services.
This time, however, it was a very different offer. Newly turned pro and 19-year-old Jordan Spieth needed a full-time caddie for the PGA Tour season and they thought of Greller for the job.
The math teacher had to think about it, as he had a good job and a family. However, his wife encouraged him to take the plunge. And so he did.
Since then, Jordan Spieth, with Michael Greller looking after his bag, has won 16 professional tournaments, 13 of them on the PGA Tour. He is one of the most successful players of his generation, having won three of the four Majors when he is only 30 years old.
Greller has stepped away from his duties alongside Spieth only once. It was in 2019, on the occasion of his father's passing.
