‘We Can Get to 18’: The Forgotten Moment Jordan Spieth Declared War on Jack Nicklaus’ Record

If there is a major championship Jordan Spieth is likely to win while he continues to fight to rediscover his best form once again, it is surely The Masters, with Augusta National the scene of one of the Texan’s greatest triumphs.

Jordan Spieth could easily have three green jackets by now. The 31-year-old did not finish outside the top two during his first three appearances at The Masters. He obviously won in 2015, while he should have really got across the line one year later also.

Nevertheless, Spieth looked destined to be one of the all-time greats during the early stages of his career. He followed his 2015 Masters victory by winning the US Open two months later.

Victory at The Open Championship would come in 2017. So it would have seemed unfathomable at the time had anyone been told that Spieth would go into the first major of 2025 still awaiting a fourth major title.

It seems that Spieth would have been just as surprised about that.

The comment Jordan Spieth made about Jack Nicklaus’ record ahead of the 2017 US Open

Obviously, injury has plagued the American over the last few years. He underwent wrist surgery towards the end of the 2024 season, and is yet to rediscover all of the brilliance within his game – though Spieth has certainly been entertaining in 2025.

Nevertheless, it would not surprise anyone if he found himself in contention next week at Augusta National because of his record.

However, expectations have had to change, not least for Spieth himself, it seems. Speaking on Fried Egg Golf about his chances at The Masters, Andy Johnson noted that Spieth had his sights set on surpassing Jack Nicklaus at one stage in his career.

“When I think about Jordan Spieth, 2015 is when I started doing this. I walked a practice round with Spieth the week before Erin Hills and I’ll never forget, it was the Sunday before, and him and Cameron McCormick were talking about getting to Jack’s 18 and how they could do it,” he said.

HARTFORD, WI – JUNE 16: Jordan Spieth of the United States plays his third shot on the par 4, 15th hole during the second round of the 117th US Open Championship at Erin Hills on June 16, 2017 in Hartford, Wisconsin. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

“You just think about that moment in time and where we are now, and it’s pretty wild. At that moment in time, it was like, ‘well, this guy could be the next double digit guy’, and they’re talking about how to get to 18 majors.

“And now we’re sitting at three, and he’s on the Ryder Cup radar because of his name, but if you put Joe Billy as his name, he wouldn’t be on the Ryder Cup radar given how he played.

“To me, when we talk about Scottie Scheffler, his approach to the game, the simplicity, Jordan Spieth to me is like the potential casualty of constantly searching. And I think you could put Viktor Hovland into this bucket, and we don’t know where this is going to go with Viktor Hovland, but when you play golf swing more than you play golf and you go down the rabbit hole of tinkering and trying to change your fingerprint as a golfer, you run the risk of losing your complete identity as a golfer.”

How Spieth reacted to winning the 2017 Open Championship and moving closer to the career grand slam
Of course, it sounds incredibly arrogant for Spieth to look at Nicklaus’ record as something which is there to be aimed for. Every player must dream of becoming one of the greatest to ever tee it up, but anyone hoping to overtake Nicklaus essentially needs to win almost every major for five years.

Spieth was not a factor at the 2017 US Open at Erin Hills. But he did go on to win major number three shortly after – at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

And given that that win took him one step closer to the career grand slam, it was no surprise that he was asked about the possibility of becoming the youngest player to ever win all four majors.

“I’ve answered this question a few times a couple years ago, so I’ll be careful with my answer. It’s amazing. I feel blessed to be able to play the game I love, but I don’t think that comparisons are – I don’t compare myself. And I don’t think that they’re appropriate or necessary. So to be in that company, no doubt is absolutely incredible. And I certainly appreciate it. And we work really hard to have that, with that being the goal. Therefore, I enjoy moments like you saying that,” he said.

“But I’m very careful as to what that means going forward because what those guys have done has transcended the sport. And in no way, shape or form do I think I’m anywhere near that, whatsoever. So it’s a good start, but there is a long way to go.”

It would be no surprise to see Spieth, at some stage, win the PGA Championship which would cement his name in the history books. But clearly, he is still some way off being the player who threatened to rewrite all kinds of records when he emerged onto the scene.