Jordan Spieth Got A Ridiculous Bounce Off Fan's Knee to Make Players Championship Cut

Spieth’s astonishing lucky break secured him a weekend tee time and a paycheck.

Jordan Spieth is headed to the weekend at the Players Championship, but he has a conveniently placed TPC Sawgrass spectator to thank for that. 

Spieth stepped up to the 9th hole—his 18th of the day—at two over par for the tournament, just outside the projected one-over-par cut line. He needed at least a birdie on the water-lined par-5 to secure a weekend tee time. 

What occurred next was a volatile series of events that could only happen to Spieth. 

Spieth took a rip at driver on the 587-yard hole, but immediately after the swing, it appeared as though he had lost balance in his right foot. The shot sailed to the right, directly for an expansive water hazard. Spieth didn’t even bother to watch the entirety of his ball flight, asking his caddie Michael Greller, “Is that out of play?”

The answer was yes: The ball was most definitely headed out of play if it weren’t for a fan standing directly in Spieth’s landing zone. 

The shot ricocheted off of said fan’s knee, blasted into the air, and landed softly in the middle of the fairway. 

What are the odds?! @JordanSpieth’s tee shot was heading into the water before his ball hit a fan and ricocheted back in the fairway.

It likely would have made the difference in Spieth making the cut @THEPLAYERSChamp. https://t.co/W3dqAnl30I pic.twitter.com/IRiHzRS30N

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 10, 2023

The best part of the lucky break is that Spieth majorly capitalized on the situation. In typical Spieth fashion, he bombed his second shot up near the green and then sunk the 9-yard chip for eagle. 

Spieth, speaking to the media following his chaotic second round, was more than aware of his fortunate bounce. The incident single-handedly secured Spieth a paycheck for the weekend, and he wants to make it up to the unnamed fan in any way possible. 

“I got an extremely lucky break on 9 or I wouldn't be playing the weekend,” Spieth said. “Trying to get that guy’s information and see literally whatever he wants this weekend because everything from here on out is because it hit him.” 

“It was going in one of the waters, and I get it hit the cart path and short-hopped off the guy's knee and then went out in the fairway forward, as well, and it must have been—the way for it to go off of him, it also then went off his knee, up in the air, over some of the water. I mean, it's the equivalent of flying a green towards a hazard and hitting a grandstand and coming back on the green in a way.”