Jordan Spieth gets words of encouragement from Jack Nicklaus, Stephen Curry after Masters collapse
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.
Jordan Spieth clearly wasn’t doing too well following Sunday’s final round of the Masters at Augusta National. The 2015 tournament champion lost his balance and nearly fell while putting the green jacket on this year’s winner, Danny Willett.
“As you can imagine, I can’t think of anybody else who may have had a tougher ceremony to experience,” Spieth said after squandering a five-stroke lead going into the back nine with three bogeys and a quadruple-bogey to land in a second-place tie with Lee Westwood at two-under, three back of Willett.
Golfing legend Jack Nicklaus tweeted out some comforting words for the 22-year-old later in the afternoon.
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“I think the whole golfing world feels for Jordan Spieth,” the 18-time majors winner wrote. “He had a chance to do something truly special and something very few have done before — and be the youngest to accomplish that — and he just didn’t pull through. My heart goes out to him for what happened, but I know that Jordan is a young man who will certainly learn from this experience and there will be some good that comes out of this for him. He’s a wonderful talent and a wonderful young man.”
Spieth’s good friend Stephen Curry fell to the basketball court during warmups between the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs after hearing about the golfer’s misfortunes.
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After the Warriors’ 92-86 victory, clinching a tie with the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for the most wins in a single season (72), Curry also had an encouraging message for his buddy.
“I know he’ll be back,” Curry said of the two-time major winner. “Obviously not the ending he wanted, but the way he grinded pretty much 3 1/2 rounds and he’s only 22, so you’re going to see a lot of him down the road. It’s probably going to be a learning experience for him as he seeks many more majors. He’ll be back.”
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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.
Chuck Schilken is a sports reporter on the Fast Break team. He spent more than 18 years with the Los Angeles Times’ Sports Department in a variety of roles. Before joining The Times, he worked for more than a decade as a sports reporter and editor at newspapers in Virginia and Maryland.
