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Michael Greller receives gift from fellow caddies to deceased father's foundation, says it rivals any of Jordan Spieth's three majors
Warren Little
Michael Greller has seen his share of success in professional golf. The former math teacher has teamed with Jordan Spieth for 14 professional wins, three majors, a Player of the Year campaign and six combined Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup appearances.
But those triumphs pale to the joy that Greller experienced on Tuesday night.
At a caddie event for this week's AT&T Byron Nelson in Dallas, Greller’s fellow bagmen surprised him with a $25,000 check towards the John and Jane Greller Scholarship fund, which honors his parents. John Greller, a two-time organ-transplant survivor, passed on Feb. 19, 2019, after a 10-year battle with Parkinson’s disease.
“A whole flood of tears came out at that point,” Greller told the Caddie Network. “My dad was the best human being I’ve ever known. My mom and him were married 50 years. It’s been hard for her and our whole family these last few months. As I was up there with my wife, Ellie, I kept thinking about my mom and just what joy it’ll bring her to know dad was honored by my fellow caddies and AT&T. AT&T has been phenomenal to myself and my wife the last seven years.”
From the Caddie Network:
To understand just how much the gesture meant to Greller, consider what he compared it to.
“I would put that moment tonight on the exact same level as any of Jordan’s three majors,” he said. “It was on par with those three moments. I’m speechless. Last year, AT&T and the APTC made a donation to Greg Chalmers and his work with Autism. I remember listening to Greg and how moved he was. Moments like that one and tonight make what we do so meaningful. It’s more meaningful than the golf shots being hit.”
Greller’s comparison to three major wins didn’t surprise Kenny Harms, who caddies for Kevin Na.
“You know how family always comes first?” Harms said. “That tells you the type of human being Michael is. That’s why he’s so adored by caddies, players and fans. He’s a class act. We’ve got a whole family of them here. Not everyone knew what was going on tonight, but 60 guys showed up.”
You can read more about the celebration here. Greller will be on Spieth’s bag this week at Trinity Forest; the pair tees off at 1:40 p.m. on Thursday.