JORDAN SLAMS MASTERS MARK
Dominating Spieth (-14) sets 36-hole record at Augusta
AUGUSTA — We have seen this before, like about 18 years ago when Tiger Woods took apart Augusta National.
In fact, for 36 holes at least, Jordan Spieth has outdone Woods and every other player who has ever teed it up between the pine trees and azaleas.
The 21-year-old Texan set the Masters 36-hole scoring record with a bogey-free 6-under-par 66 on Friday for a two-round total of 130, a shot better than Ray Floyd in 1976. He came within a misread sevenfooter on 18 of playing the lowest 36 holes in major championship history but settled for a share of the record with Martin Kaymer (2014 U.S. Open), Brandt Snedeker (2012 British Open) and Nick Faldo (1995 British Open).
Afterward, Spieth, with a five-shot lead on Charley Hoffman (also a Masters record) showed why he’s so poised for his years on the course. He knows this thing isn’t over. Hoffman is one thing, but with
hard-charging Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose within seven shots, and Phil Mickelson within eight, he can’t afford to start coming back to the field
“It’s cool,” he allowed. “Anytime you can set a record here is pretty awesome. Again, this is only the halfway point and I’m aware of that. I’m not going to get ahead of myself. I’m going to try to stay in the moment.”
Spieth learned that last year when he gave up the 54-hole lead to Bubba Watson on the last day.
“What I learned was patience,” he said. “What I learned was the weekend of a major, those rounds can often seem like two rounds with the kind of mental stuff that’s running through your head; the stress levels.
“The hardest thing to do is put aside wanting to win so bad . . . letting my ball-striking and putting happen.”
That’s exactly what he did Friday when he felt he struck the ball better than during his opening round of 64. He got fewer breaks Friday but didn’t really need them. Through two days, he’s made 15 birdies and one bogey. He’s hit 28 of 36 fairways, 20 of 28 greens and has taken just 50 putts.
“His putting stands out,” said playing partner Henrik Stenson. “And he’s made so many hard, difficult, Augusta putts, as well, with perfect speed and so much break.
“He’s definitely an old head on young shoulders, isn’t he? He’s playing strategically. He’s playing very mature.”
The par-5 15th hole was an example of that. It was his only bogey Thursday when he mis-clubbed and hit hybrid over the green. Friday, he laid up to a number and got up and down for the birdie.
Spieth birdied all four par-5s Friday, which is more impressive considering he isn’t one of the longest hitters. His birdie on 8 had playing partner Billy Horschel shaking his head. Spieth drove it into a bad lie in a fairway bunker and chose to simply blast it out. Then, from 220 yards, he hit what he called one of the best hybrids of his life to three feet. Horschel was pointing left as it approached the green. The shot landed on the left slope of the putting surface and took a perfect kick.
Hoffman is a 38-year-old with three PGA Tour victories. He makes a lot of birdies but can have some blowup holes. They haven’t shown up yet.
“Just keeping the ball in front of me, driving it all right, making putts,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any secret code to it.”
But when asked if it was surreal to be 9-under at the Masters and trailing by five, he said, “No, not at all, because we’ve only played 36 holes. It’s this year. It’s not any other year. I’m just playing golf and I’ve only played 36 holes and we’ve got a lot of golf left.”
Spieth has played six rounds of golf here and he’s been out of the top three in only one of those. He was asked why he’s been able to beat the learning curve.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Seems like there have been quite a few guys who have had success at a young age here. I think Seve (Ballesteros) and Tiger at 21. Obviously, I’m not comparing myself to those guys in any way.”
At this rate, we may be.
It’s cool. Anytime you can set a record here is pretty awesome. Again, this is only the halfway point and I’m aware of that. I’m not going to get ahead of myself. I’m going to try to stay in the moment. JORDAN SPIETH