‘Take 5 seconds’: How Jordan Spieth’s wife played role in RBC Heritage win

Score another for the wives.

A week after Scottie Scheffler credited his wife, Meredith, for helping calm him the morning of his Masters victory, Jordan Spieth’s wife, Annie, played a role in her husband’s win Sunday at the RBC Heritage.

Spieth had been stewing over a missed 18-inch par putt on his final hole Saturday afternoon at Harbour Town.

“I was about as upset after the round yesterday as I’ve ever been in a golf tournament,” said Spieth, who had just missed his first cut at Augusta National the week prior and described that as “the worst feeling as a golfer that I can remember.”

But at one point Saturday night, in a rare occurrence, Annie offered some golf-related advice.

“Annie told me last night, ‘You need to take 5 seconds now’ – and she never comments on my golf – ‘you need to take 5 seconds, if you miss a putt, before you hit your tap-in,’” Spieth recalled. “So, I thought about it today. There were a couple times I was just going to rake it, and I was like, no, I’ve got to take 5 seconds.”

Spieth also credited his 5-month-old son, Sammy, for helping him snap out of his mood.

“That turned a lot around for me last night was just hanging out with him and this morning,” Spieth said. “Even this morning, I was kicking myself [for that missed putt]. I thought about it all night. Just like, just how am I going to get that back? It just takes your mind off of things and puts it where it should be, which is in the moment of hanging out. I really, really enjoyed that. Had a great time spending the mornings with him, and we got our dog here, too. It was a blast.”

Full-field scores from RBC Heritage

“I’m just glad [the miss] didn’t end up affecting it all, to be honest,” Spieth added. “Just made it a little more exciting at the end.”

After defeating Patrick Cantlay on the first playoff hole for his first win since last Easter Sunday, Spieth celebrated on the 18th green – the same one where he’d missed that 18-incher some 24 hours earlier – with Annie and Sammy. Hugs. Kisses. Huge smiles.

What a difference a day makes.