Jordan Spieth talks Children's Flight of Hope at Charles Schwab Challenge

Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram on May 23, 2025

Published in Golf

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FORT WORTH, Texas — Zeke Newberry and his family were flown out to the Charles Schwab Challenge at the Colonial for a special VIP experience by the nonprofit Children’s Flight of Hope.

The organization has been helping fly families to critical life-altering and changing treatments since founded by Al Wethington in 1990.

As part of the VIP experience, Zeke walked with Jordan Spieth to the first hole during the pro-am held on Wednesday before the tournament kicked off.

Spieth spoke Friday about how he got involved with Children’s Flight of Hope, citing his non-profit, the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation, and joked that Newberry was his good luck charm.

“Our Foundation supported [Children’s Flight of Hope] that he and his family have taken advantage of that has allowed him to take a lot of flights, expenses paid. This amazing organization where these kids can go get treatment,” Spieth said. “He’s 14, just that kind of situation, just nobody should have to deal with, pediatric cancer is just an absolute terrible, terrible thing... I think maybe the organization was just going to bring him over here, and so it was cool to spend some time with him, walk the first hole with him. It was the best hole I played this week, to be honest with you, I made an eagle with him on my bag and I’ve yet to do that any other hole.”

The Dallas native said it was important for those in his position to give back and cited his upbringing.

“Kids wanna be athletes when they grow up, a lot of them do, and I believe that there is a responsibility when you’re in the public eye that you should, especially when you’ve been given way, way better of a deck than you know, most kids, and especially the ones who’ve been getting some bad cards,” Spieth said. “It really just comes back to kind of my upbringing with my parents, and also my high school, Jesuit. So there’s always to me, it was like, hey, just recognize that there’s a lot of people that are struggling and we’re not. I mean, I’ll grind out there, and it may seem like the world's ending sometimes to me out there, but I know, in retrospect, that’s just on the golf course, and I’m just competing, but anything that athletes can do, and when I was young, I looked up to 'em. You can be a role model. You definitely should be trying your hardest.”

Spieth’s foundation crosses over with the mission of Children’s Flight of Hope, with one of the four pillars focusing on helping those with pediatric cancer.

On the course, Spieth struggled after an opening round 1-under performance, but used a birdie on the 17th hole to improve to 1-over for the day and par for the tournament, making the cut and sitting in a tie for 62nd place.