Spieth keen to keep low profile

JORDAN Spieth says the hype around Tiger Woods’s captivating injury comeback will allow him to take an unexpected underdog status into the Masters in two weeks.

Spieth, the 2015 US Masters champion and twice runner-up at Augusta National, is winless since his dramatic British Open victory in July.

It’s seen the three-time major champion slip down the odds for the year’s first major, while Woods firmed to outright favourite courtesy of consecutive top-five results in his past two US PGA Tour starts.

His resurgence has captured the world’s attention given Woods was sidelined for 10 months last year after spinal fusion surgery.

But four-time Masters winner Woods iced his last event before Augusta with a vintage final-round charge to share fifth at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Speaking in Texas ahead of the World Golf Championships-Match Play, Spieth has found a silver lining to being put on the backburner.

“Only a month or two ago, I might have been tied for the favourite with DJ [Dustin Johnson] and now I’m not even on the board,” Spieth joked yesterday. “Man, it’s nice being an underdog at Augusta, I haven’t been since 2014.”

The 2018 edition is tipped to be the most anticipated Masters in history with a host of big names finding form this year.

Three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson broke a winless drought of five years when he claimed the WGC-Mexico Championship this month.

Other winners on the tour this year are Bubba Watson, 2012 and 2014 Masters champ, world No.1 Johnson and Jason Day, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy.