Remember For Wellness? It was the brand conceived by Phil Mickelson and Dave Philips in a bid to introduce simple but functional nutrition into the lives of many. The former being involved in an endeavor is not surprising. Mickelson has been very open about his commitment to health and well-being as he got older. This is evident in the fact that he is able to hold his own at a competitive level with the current peak performers.
The six-time Major champion won his last Major championship in 2021 at the age of 50. A remarkable achievement considering the evolution of the game into more power- and pace-oriented outputs. The key behind this? Mickelson follows a five-day prolonged fast that allows him to maintain weight and lose some extra pounds. In fact, the three-time Masters champion lost nearly 25 pounds in 2023 with this method. That’s the effort it takes to maintain success at such an age.
Now, another golfer who is slowly entering the latter stages of his prime is looking to follow Mickelson’s footsteps and try to take better care of his body. Three-time major winner Jordan Spieth opened up about the trends in golf and how he is trying to stay fit in a bid to keep his golf at a consistent level despite an aging body. Spieth was speaking to the press ahead of the Travelers Championship when he opened up about his change in food habits and post-tournament routines.
Jordan Spieth’s change in routine over the years.
“It’s changed a lot for me over the last few years, especially traveling with my family and stuff like that. Also, having the accessibility we have now out here with the recovery trailer and physios being super accessible and stuff.” Spieth explained. Golfers nowadays tend to have a team of people around them to help achieve optimum performance. These range from technical coaches, who work on various aspects of the game, to physiotherapists, strength and conditioning coaches, and massage therapists. The advent of sports science has made each of these roles very important, and the advent of technology has made them easily accessible.
The Travelers Championship is the 10th event Spieth is taking part in in nearly three months, starting with the Valero Texas Open in early April. This is a huge deal for a normal golfer, let alone someone who is coming back to the fold after a long-term injury layoff. Spieth has maintained a bit of consistency with his performance, and that is mostly due to the discipline he carries himself with.
“I feel like, off of last week, it was a pretty tough walk—this is my 10th out of 12 weeks as well, so my legs were a little clumsy the last two days. I woke up this morning and feel ready and fresh, and that’s kind of what you’re looking for. If you can get there by Wednesday morning or sooner after hitting a couple training sessions and kind of getting everything on the recovery side going, then we’re good to go.” The 31-year-old further added.
“And I eat very clean and think a lot about recovery now. That’s going to have to continue as I get older.” Spieth professed. Not all is lost for the three-time Major champion, though. If anything, the last few weeks should deepen his resolve about maintaining his focus on all things golf-related.
Jordan Spieth sees positive signs despite getting older
38 and 34. Those are the ages of the last two winners on the PGA Tour. The latter of the two, JJ Spaun, had gone through a rough patch at the beginning of the 2024 season, where in 15 events he missed ten cuts. Despite his age, Spaun refused to give up and continued working hard. Nearly a year later, he clinched his first-ever major title at Oakmont Country Club, being the only player to make par across the four days in very tough conditions. “Seeing J.J. grind it out, seeing his story of essentially saying, if this is the end, middle of last year, then so be it, and turn it around in his season and almost winning two of the biggest four events this year is certainly inspiring.” Spieth stated.
Ryan Fox, who won the RBC Canadian Open, had not won a single event on the PGA Tour until this season, where he ended up winning two, adding the Myrtle Beach Classic to his titles. This, along with Spaun’s victory, will be a huge motivator for the likes of Spieth, who is still in his early 30s. “Foxy obviously knocked on the door a number of years, and then to come through a couple times this year was amazing. I just thought that final round—I don’t watch a lot of golf, and it was incredibly entertaining.” Spieth explained.
Do you think Jordan Spieth is destined for more success as he gets older?
