Spieth’s CV consists of 13 PGA Tour wins, three majors and a Ryder Cup haul of eight wins and three ties from 18 matches.
It is certainly impressive – but perhaps not the amount of victories he initially threatened to post.
Going three years without winning a tournament is anathema to a man who seemed poised for a long run as world number one.
“I know there is pain involved in not winning,” says Fields. “All golfers develop scar tissue.”
After winning The Open in almost miraculous fashion in 2017 – his three-shot lead going into the final round was wiped out in four holes before he picked up five shots in four holes from the 14th to win by three – Spieth has only two more victories on his resume.
In that time, he has got married, had two children with a third on the way, done a heavy amount of work on his swing and, last year, had significant surgery to fix a long-standing wrist injury.
His major record has been inconsistent over the past five seasons with four top-10 finishes in the sport’s biggest tournaments.
“His whole life has been in evolution,” says Fields. “But nothing has changed in his brain. I just think he is re-balancing. Rory did the same thing – I think Tiger did it five times.
“It doesn’t change who these guys are.”
Like McIlroy, Spieth is one of golf’s most recognisable personalities. A player whose glorious highs are mirrored by devastating lows – all conducted to the soundtrack of his on-course chatter with stoic caddie Michael Greller.
Nevertheless, Fields is convinced Spieth will start winning tournaments again and, as if to underline his old coach’s confidence, he raced up the leaderboard on the final day at the Byron Nelson in nine under par to finish fourth, his lowest round for four years.
It was the third time he has finished in the top 10 so far in 2025.
“I guess all that there is to say is that it feels close,” Spieth said afterwards. “I’m not going to try to force anything, and this was a good improvement.”
In the past, Spieth has talked about winning the career Grand Slam at the US PGA Championship as “the elephant in the room” and that doing so would feel like he had “accomplished golf”.
Before McIlroy’s Masters win, the other five members of that exclusive club had all completed golf’s holy grail within three attempts.
Now on his ninth try, Spieth is in his best shape for years to finally accomplish the feat.
