Jordan Spieth stepped up to tee off on the 15th hole at the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic in Illinois on July 2 and promptly pulled his drive well right, sending the ball into a trash area.
After Spieth walked up to locate the ball, he moved a trash can and recycling bin to uncover it from under the latter. The sight of Spieth moving them initially confused broadcasters.
“What is Jordan Spieth doing?” one broadcaster said. Another responded, “Well, the ball’s in there somewhere.”
After both receptacles were removed, an official allowed Spieth to move the ball to a slightly more favorable position. Spieth then hit a strong recovery shot onto the green and converted for birdie.
One man’s trash is Jordan Spieth’s treasure. https://t.co/sxWtWFIbrI pic.twitter.com/CLz8kv37Be
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 2, 2026
Spieth has earned a reputation as a highly talented but inconsistent player, often missing drives but still managing to finish holes at or below par. He reinforced that volatility shortly after, carding a double bogey on the 18th hole and then a bogey after that, per Sports Illustrated. (RELATED: Fans Outraged After Rory McIlroy Reportedly Expected To Receive Zero Punishment Despite Breaking PGA Tour Rules)
In addition to blundering into one of the most entertaining moments of the tournament, Spieth has also drawn attention for blaming gambling for the increased rowdiness of golf fans in late June with the John Deere Classic looming, according to Fox News Digital.
“I do think that betting in golf is something that’s going to have to be tackled here soon,” Spieth said.
Explaining his reasoning, he added, “In golf it’s tricky because you could actually impact the outcome if you wanted to. It may not last very long, but you could impact a shot if you wanted to. I don’t know of another sport where you can impact play as a fan the way you can in golf.”