Jordan Spieth's caddie quits teaching, makes £256,000 in 30 days

Greller’s rise to prominence started back in 2006 as a spectator at the US Amateur Public Links Championship at a course near his home in Gig Harbor, Washington. Greller spotted one player, Matt Savage, carrying his own bags and offered to caddie for free for him, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Some four years later, Savage recommended Greller to Justin Thomas, and Thomas, impressed by Greller’s work, recommended him to Spieth when Spieth needed a caddie for the 2011 US junior amateur.

The report adds that while Greller had no intention of turning his hand to professional caddying, things changed for Greller when Spieth won that first tournament.

With Greller again on his bag at the US Open, Spieth finished 21st as an amateur in 2012 – and Spieth elected to offer him the role on a full time basis, and, as they say, the rest is history. Greller gave up his job as a teacher to caddie.

That decision has paid rich dividends.

Greller earned £37,500 a year as a teacher beforehand – topping up his teacher's salary with golf coaching on the side but now he's made $375,000 (£256,000) in 30 days; that's nearly seven years of teaching.

The reason? Well, Spieth has claimed $4.1 million in winnings in the last month - two wins and two second-placed finishes - and that leaves Greller's cut at an impressive $375,000.

"I loved what I did, but I was ready to try something different. Ellie, my wife, was watching the Masters with me in the spring. She said, 'If Jordan is winning the Masters in 10 years, are you going to be like, why didn't I pursue that?' I know I'd be kicking myself."

It didn't take Spieth 10 years, it took him two.

"For the most part it's just stay out his way, because he's one of the best players in the world and the last thing I need to do is screw it up for him," Greller told reporters after Spieth clinched the green jacket at Augusta National.

"He told me the first week I ever caddied for him (that) in the past he's relied too much on his caddies. I think less is more as a caddie.

Greller has used his experience as a teacher to good effect, too.

"Being a sixth-grade teacher is huge with a kid out here, because you're going to have ups-and-downs. I always try to encourage him," added Greller.

Greller, a keen poker player, told Spieth before the final round he was holding a pair of metaphorical aces and should let the others take the big risks.

Speith, however, failed to heed that advice on the par-five 13th where he held a four-shot lead and instead of laying up before the water guarding the green with his second shot, he went for the pin with a five iron.

"He likes to go at pins still. Fortunately we got away with it," Greller said, revealing that what to viewers may have looked like a perfect shot was actually somewhat of a mishit.

"If you lay up there, then you're not playing the course. He's got adrenaline, a help wind. Even if he missed it, his carry number with a five-iron is 205 (yards).

"He kind of missed it and it still (landed on the green). Obviously we were trying to go left of that line."

Greller also said that the disappointment of finishing runner-up at the Masters last year was turned into a positive.

"I think that was probably the best thing that happened to us, not winning it.

"There wasn't a rock bottom. We had a great week. Under the circumstances, we all saw it as a positive and didn't beat ourselves up too much over it.

"For Jordan, winning the Masters I don't think is his ultimate goal.

"It's a nice feather certainly in his cap, but knowing Jordan, how grounded and humble it is, I think he's going to savor it but it's not the ultimate."