Rory tells Spieth it’s time to banish Masters demons
GIVEN that he has finished in the top two in each of his three appearances at the Masters, you might think Jordan Spieth would be desperate to head down Magnolia Lane in a fortnight’s time.
Instead, the American has made the astonishing admission that he cannot wait for the tournament to be over. ‘No matter what happens, whether I can grab the jacket or miss the cut or finish 30th, it will be nice having the Masters go by,’ said the 23-year-old.
Spieth has voiced his frustration in private for some time at having to talk about what happened last year at virtually every tournament he has played. Leading by five with nine holes to play, he dropped six shots in three holes, including a quadruple-bogey seven at the 12th to let in Danny Willett.
But it was an eyeopener to see his exasperation carry over into his press conference before today’s start of the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship. ‘What happens at the Masters lives on for a year and it will be nice once this year’s is finished, to be brutally honest,’ said Spieth.
It was a rare slip in the PR department by the courteous Texan, who is not normally so precious. He is also in for a rude awakening if he thinks he will never again be asked about his collapse once this year’s event is over. Rory McIlroy has news for him on that score.
‘That might be the way Jordan is approaching it but if he doesn’t banish those demons the questions will still be there,’ he said. ‘I still get questioned about what happened over the back nine at Augusta in 2011 (leading by three shots with a round to go, he came home in 43 blows for an 80).
‘It’s something you have to deal with, it’s always there, but at least he can console himself by opening his wardrobe and seeing one green jacket hanging there.’
Back in Austin, the town where he went to college, Spieth will inevitably be fancied for a match play event that promises to be an intriguing Masters appetiser.
McIlroy won this event in San Francisco two years ago but has an awkward-looking group to negotiate. He begins today against battling Dane Soren Kjeldsen and will also have to get past big-hitting Gary Woodland, the man he beat in the final in 2015.
Perhaps the best group features Shane Lowry, Spaniards Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm, plus steady American Kevin Chappell.
Eight Englishmen have qualified, with Matt Fitzpatrick and Chris Wood in the same group as Americans Justin Thomas and Kevin Na.
Lee Westwood will do well to emerge from a group featuring inform American Pat Perez, last week’s winner Marc Leishman and defending champion Jason Day.
Man-of-the-moment Tyrrell Hatton will have to beat Rafa Cabrera-Bello, who finished third here last year and showed his love of match play at the Ryder Cup.
Willett could certainly do with a boost before Augusta and is up against American Bill Haas, Korean KT Kim as well as the lone Scot, Russell Knox.
One man who will certainly not lack incentive is Ross Fisher, who needs to move up five places in the world rankings this week to get an invitation to the Masters.
Fisher is up against world No 4 Hideki Matsuyama, South African Louis Oosthuizen and Jim Furyk.