PNC CHAMPIONSHIP

December 15, 2022

Jordan Spieth

Shawn Spieth

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Growing up, did you guys play a ton together?

JORDAN SPIETH: He got me into the game so we played quite a bit back then. And then once I got to where I was with a bunch of the juniors out there, he was working and stuff, so then we would play when we could. But 12 starting out.

SHAWN SPIETH: 12, said, you're going back, I'm coming up, tee boxes.

Q. And can you remember, because obviously you were a great golfer as well. Can you remember when maybe he beat you for the first time?

SHAWN SPIETH: About then. Do you remember, nine or ten? Somewhere in there. First time he played was a lower score than I had ever posted.

JORDAN SPIETH: He didn't play much back then at all.

SHAWN SPIETH: I'm not a great golfer. I practiced for the last six weeks and I'm maybe twice as good as I was six weeks ago. I've still got a long way to go.

Q. What's the best part of his game and worst part of his game?

JORDAN SPIETH: I'm trying to pinpoint. He has a really good short game. Pretty good iron play and worst part is when he wants to hit a drive really far, which is most every drive, when he swings smooth, he drives it really nice.

Q. How do you contain it?

JORDAN SPIETH: Out here if I hit a good one, he's just going to go ahead, otherwise he's going to need to have a gear back to putt one in the fairway. It's not a terribly different driving course from the holes we saw today.

So my job will be get one out there and then we'll both try and take advantage from there.

SHAWN SPIETH: Challenge him to try to try and keep it somewhere within where Nelly hits it.

Q. That's a great pairing. Are you excited for that?

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, it will be really fun. I'm involved with Nelly and Jessica in a company together and got to be around here, and watched from afar, her success. I'm looking forward to it. It's like playing with Adam Scott. She swings it so sweet. It will be nice to watch that tempo and hopefully Dad will watch that tempo and take that tempo. Swing like Nelly, that's going to be your goal on Saturday.

Q. What would you say is the reputation of this tournament out on tour?

JORDAN SPIETH: I would say anyone who I've talked to about it says, you've got to play it. There's not a ton of current PGA TOUR players, probably half the field maybe. So it's not talked about, I guess, a ton but amongst those who have played it, they obviously love coming here and they continue to come here every year.

Q. What's the vibe like among the competitors and the contestants?

JORDAN SPIETH: I see maybe once a year, like I don't see Bernhard but Masters week, and he was somebody that you say "hi" and haven't seen for a little while, Mark O'Meara, and it seems like maybe what would be a mix of a PGA and a Champions Tour event, seems pretty light, and not super competitive but I'm sure that will change when we get Saturday night into Sunday.

Q. When was the first time you beat your dad on the course?

JORDAN SPIETH: He would know better than me. I don't know.

SHAWN SPIETH: He was eight or nine, somewhere in there.

Q. How much did he win by?

SHAWN SPIETH: Six or eight. As soon as he turned it on --

JORDAN SPIETH: It was probably nine holes back then, too, that's a beat down.

Q. No?

SHAWN SPIETH: No, it wasn't nine holes. You wouldn't stop after nine.

Q. How early did you figure out he had something special?

SHAWN SPIETH: I didn't grow up playing the game so I couldn't really tell until we went to, it was a regional tournament scald Scarborough (ph) down in Waco, helicopter comes in -- we had a lot of kids. He was playing -- when he first started playing, and competitively was eight or nine.

And so how old were you that year, 11 maybe? Then went out on a short course, came in, and made the turn at 1- or 2-under and shot 8-under on the back or 9-under on the back and we came in, he's got a five- or six-stroke lead, guys have been playing golf their whole life, it doesn't happen like this -- he's eight strokes off, played one round, that kind of thing. Maybe he's pretty good.

JORDAN SPIETH: I was 12, yeah. It was on the last eight holes, I had eagle and six birdies on the last eight. But we started on No. 9, so it's one through eight on that course, shotgun start.

SHAWN SPIETH: Hungry at the turn -- (laughter).

Q. What are the hopes and expectations this week? Just out to have fun?

JORDAN SPIETH: Dad wants to win. I'll do my best to try and help put us in a position to do so. He want to win.

Q. You were telling us that he's got a motto, to swing it light?

JORDAN SPIETH: Swing it like Nelly.

SHAWN SPIETH: Swing it like Nelly. Try to adopt that along with 7 or 8 million other players.

JORDAN SPIETH: Including myself.

Q. What's the mix of nerves to get in the arena?

SHAWN SPIETH: I just want it make sure my brother can carry the bag. That's my No. 1 goal. It's different. We go to the first tee and they were -- he played first today and there's still a bunch of people walking up and I just want to keep it -- that was first, I got one in the fairway. Just have fun. We don't get to do this -- like I said we don't get to do this nearly as often as we would like to, got Jordan, Steven, his brother, my brother with us. It's a fun boys trip.

Q. Younger brother? Older brother?

SHAWN SPIETH: My younger brother, Stow.

Q. It's a very full field of legends and players from 11 to I think it's 87. Is there any ones that you're particularly keen to see and play a tournament with? It's such an unusual mix. Is there anyone who you're looking forward to?

JORDAN SPIETH: It's funny both the 11- and 87-year-old were in the locker room at the same time. That was new for me. There's a dispersion on the PGA TOUR, but it's like 20 to 50, not 11 to 87, so that was cool to see. Annika's son, and then Mr. Player were in there, so I mean, I'm fortunate -- been fortunate to be around everybody who is here, so I wouldn't say -- but I actually am really excited for our first round pairing.

As I mentioned earlier, just watching Nelly's success and I grew up with Jessica, and just kind of to see that duo on the LPGA taking over, it will be fun to play fun in the same event, and not super excited that she's on the same tees as dad. Kind of wish Dad was 1-up with her dad but maybe he'll take it as a challenge and he'll be up for it.

SHAWN SPIETH: I'll swing easy.

Q. Is there anyone particularly heros of yours growing up watching golf?

SHAWN SPIETH: I mean, everybody. I haven't gotten to play with any of them. Anybody we play with will be a treat and will be a thrill. Is Charlie carrying it 260 or 290? Everybody wants to know which one it is, so that will be fun, or more, after the last two weeks.

JORDAN SPIETH: Does it matter.

Q. How much golf to you do you get to play and what kind of golfer are you?

SHAWN SPIETH: I'm improving. I've played quite a bit the last two months and not much at all before that. Five or six times a year. This is the first time I've worked at it for six weeks, so I should be good and consistent by now, right.

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, it's that easy. Cram before the test.