CHARACTER COUNTS

Jordan Spieth makes time for his No. 1 fan

Jul 29, 2015, 4:04 PM

Jordan Spieth is good at a lot of things, especially golf.

The only thing he might be better at than golf is being a brother.

Golf’s shining star turned 22 years old Monday, but made sure to save time for his number one fan – his young sister, Ellie.

 

Speith’s ability to handle tough situations in the clutch can be attributed to his sister, his mom said. Ellie was born with a neurological disorder, one that places her on the autism spectrum.

ESPN.com’s Amanda Anderson wrote about Ellie’s impact on the Spieth family.

Ellie inspires her entire family and keeps them in the moment, and her influence was ingrained in Jordan early on.

“Ellie always thought her brothers won at everything,” Chris said, “so there’s no way they were allowed to be down around her. No way. Jordan realizes this isn’t real life at the Masters. Trying to sit around and have dinner when his sister doesn’t want to eat when everybody else is eating and has a fit, that’s real life.”

“I really love when she’s able to be out there, love spending time with her,” Spieth said. Even when they are apart, Jordan FaceTimes Ellie and trades video messages with her and the rest of his family.

“It’s humbling to see her and her friends and the struggles they go through each day that we take for granted,” Spieth said. “And my experience with her and in her class and with her friends, it’s fantastic, and I love being a part of it and helping support it.”

Despite being a U.S. Open and Masters champion, Jordan Spieth still remembers one thing above all – family comes first.

Character Counts

Runners take off after the starting gun at Pat's Run in Tempe. The race, will be run on April 13 th...

Character Counts

The 20th annual Pat’s Run set take place in Tempe on April 13

The 20th iteration of Pat's Run is set to take place in Tempe on April 13 to honor the life and legacy of Pat Tillman.

2 days ago

Follow @AZSports...

Character Counts

Bradley Beal hooked up Devin Booker fans who supported Suns in Denver

Suns fans who showed up to in Devin Booker jerseys at Ball Arena in Denver got a special gift from Bradley Beal afterward.

12 days ago

Aani Nagaiah, front row far right, is the winner among 10 finalists for the 2024 Character Counts s...

Character Counts

Arcadia senior wins 2024 Character Counts Scholarship

Arcadia's Aani Nagaiah on Wednesday night was presented as the winner of the 2024 Character Counts scholarship courtesy of Parker & Sons.

19 days ago

ASU's HBE uniforms...

Arizona Sports

Arizona State basketball fans can now rock Sun Devils’ HBE jerseys

Arizona State basketball's Honoring Black Excellence jerseys are being released to fans for the first time this month.

1 month ago

Baltimore Ravens tighe end Mark Andrews...

Character Counts

Ravens TE, diabetes advocate Mark Andrews helped woman during health scare on flight

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, who has Type 1 diabetes, helped a woman during a medical emergency on a flight to Arizona.

2 months ago

Benjamin Franklin High School's wrestling coach, Hayes Rollins (far right), was named as the Arizon...

David Veenstra

Benjamin Franklin High School wrestling’s Hayes Rollins named Arizona Sports Coach of the Month

Hayes Rollins, the wrestling coach at Benjamin Franklin High School, has been named the inaugural Arizona Sports Coach of the Month.

2 months ago

Jordan Spieth makes time for his No. 1 fan