For Spieth, it’s more about the celebration than the shot

CROMWELL, Conn. — Jordan Spieth reached the 18th green at TPC River Highlands during his practice round Tuesday at the Travelers Championship. He felt no need to try any shots out of the front bunker. “I know what it does,� he told caddie Michael Greller. Indeed. Spieth’s hole-out a year ago in the first playoff hole against Daniel Berger didn’t just produce a win. It also ignited a celebration that was just as memorable. Spieth’s club throw with his gloved left hand toward the back bank of the bunker. Greller’s casual rake toss to his left. Then the side bump/chest bump between the two. Spieth — and perhaps others in this week’s field — may very well hole out from that same bunker this week. It’s doubtful anyone, though, could recreate the impromptu and unfettered show of emotion that followed. “That was pretty special,� Spieth said. “I don’t think we could do that again, no matter how many times we tried.� It’s a good thing, considering Spieth admitted he basically “blacked out� after his ball rolled into the cup for the unlikely birdie. He knew the shot was a good one but thought the ball would roll a few feet past the cup, so he strained to pick up the read for the comebacker over the lip of the bunker. “Then it drops,� Spieth said, “and you just react.� The fortunate thing, according to Spieth, was that no one got hurt in the process. Spieth said that while he’s thrown clubs in the past, he’s never done it in celebration. But this time, he couldn’t help himself. In typical Spieth fashion, he explained in detail Tuesday how he usually twirls the club after a bunker shot or chip shot, so his hand slid halfway down the shaft instead of staying on the grip. That gave him better accuracy and control as he tossed the club. “If my hands are still on the grip and I really threw it, it could have hurt somebody,� he said. “Instead, it was like throwing a baton, like throwing the middle of the baton.� Meanwhile, Greller’s rake toss — the unsung moment of the celebration — was a nice, high lob to his left. Greller, incidentally, retrieved the rake after the awards ceremony and has it in his home. Then as Spieth climbed out of the bunker, he launched sideways at Greller, who opted for the full chest bump. “Better than the other way around,� Spieth said. “There’s been a lot of pretty bad celebrations on the PGA TOUR. There’s been a lot of missed high fives — I’ve been part of plenty of them. It’s pretty hard to miss when I’m going into Michael for a chest bump.� The holed shot didn’t end the tournament, though. Berger still had a 50-foot birdie putt to extend the playoff, and Spieth followed his celebration by helping to quiet down the frenzied crowd. Spieth’s win was sealed when Berger narrowly missed. “I don’t regret anything of the celebration,� Spieth said. “I thought it just pure emotion. … It felt the moment and that’s where I was living. Then it was OK, I had it now Daniel’s got his turn. You know, let’s chill out. Once that was done, then it was time to celebrate.� Spieth, of course, has seen the replays of the shot many times — “every single day� for the following week or two after the tournament. Then it pops up every now and then on social media. Bill Haas knows what it’s like to produce a highlight moment in a pressure-packed situation. His chip shot from a half-submerged lie in the water at the 17th hole finished inside 3 feet, allowing him to save par in a playoff against Hunter Mahan at the 2011 TOUR Championship. One hole later, Haas won not only the tournament but the FedExCup title. “That was a really good shot that worked,� Haas said Tuesday after walking off the 18th hole (no, he did not try to recreate Spieth’s shot from the bunker). “But I seem to remember the bad ones more than the good ones. The best players remember the good ones more.� Haas is being too humble, of course. After all, he has six TOUR wins along with that FedExCup title. Yet when Spieth and Greller talk about the moment, they don’t focus on the shot. Only what followed. “More about the celebration, for sure,� Spieth said.

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