Yes, Jordan Spieth heard about Kevin Kisner’s comments. And from whom?
Kisner.
And Spieth’s response?
Five words. Between friends, of course.
To set this up, last weekend, at the PGA Tour’s Sentry event, Kisner was making his debut as an analyst with NBC, part of a two-gig deal for the longtime pro as the network looks for its replacement for Paul Azinger. Spieth, meanwhile, was in the Sentry field. And Spieth was parading around a 3-foot putt on Saturday during the third round, and Spieth has had the occasional issue with shorties. And, as noted one paragraph above, Spieth and Kisner are pals.
And Kisner said this as Spieth went through his process:
“I’m watching this distance — this is always the distance I make him putt when we play matches because you never know what you’re going to get.
“He’s spent more time on this 3-footer than he does on 25-footers. If I was going to help him, I’d tell him to speed it up a little bit on these and just knock it in. He knows how to make these.”
Spieth missed. He mumbled.
And Kisner added this:
“That’s 3 feet, Jordan. Just knock it in, bud. Ninety-nine percent on Tour.”
From there, the crack circulated. At the very least, Kisner was being honest, though you may have a few other thoughts, and we’ll leave it at that. But you had to maybe wonder:
Jordan Spieth contemplating a 3-footer? Kevin Kisner had 5 words of advice
What did Spieth think?
On an appearance on Tuesday on the Gravy and the Sleeze show on SiriusXM, he said he heard Kisner did well during the broadcast. The “just knock it in, bud” crack, though, started the conversation among Spieth and co-hosts Drew Stoltz and Colt Knost, who both also host GOLF’s Subpar podcast, with Knost asking this:
“Jordan, one of the other highlights of the week was we had Kevin Kisner in the booth, your good buddy. I know you were playing, so you probably didn’t get to hear much of what he had to say. He did take a couple little shots at you here and there. But what are you hearing about Kis’ debut in the booth?”
To which Spieth answered:
“Yeah, he actually came up and told me the shots he was taking at me while I was warming up on Sunday, which is like 101, don’t do that.
“So I was like, you’re a d**k, please leave.”
Here, it’s OK to laugh.
There was more.
On the appearance, Spieth was complimentary of Kisner. He believed Kisner knew the players’ games. He believed Kisner was close to the players, a quality Knost has in his job as an analyst for CBS. He said he knew he’d be “be on the receiving end of some with Kis, and I know it’s just love from him.”
At about that point, Stoltz asked Spieth if he was surprised that Kisner took the job. Kisner, after all, is still playing; he’s in the field at this week’s Sony Open.
Stoltz also noted that Kisner is 39 years old.
Said Spieth: “He’s only 39?
Said Stoltz: “Isn’t that right?”
Said Knost: “I think so.”
Said Spieth: “That is shocking to me. OK, I’m way off in my head.”
Said Stoltz: “What did you think he was?”
Said Spieth: “Definitely at least in his mid-40s.”
At the very least, Spieth was (maybe) being honest, though you may have a few other thoughts, and we’ll leave it at that.
Editor’s note: To listen to the Gravy and the Sleeze show on subscription-based SiriusXM, please click here. To listen to the Subpar podcast, please click here.
