Spieth back on top at the Masters; can he finish the job?
AUGUSTA, USA (AP) — Jordan Spieth was already one of the hottest players on the PGA Tour.
He showed no signs of letting up at the Masters.
There are still three rounds to go, but the 21-year-old Spieth looks very much like the one to beat after opening with an 8-under 64 and making a serious run at the major championship scoring record yesterday.
If not for a blunder at the par-5 15th, where Spieth’s tee shot left him perfectly positioned for no worse than a birdie but he wound up making bogey, he very well could have been the first player to shoot 62 at one of golf’s biggest events.
As it was, Spieth came up just short of the record, which is 63, but can’t complain about a three-shot lead heading to today.
Ernie Els, Justin Rose, Jason Day and Charley Hoffman all shot 67. Sergio Garcia and Russell Henley were another stroke back with 68s.
“To make nine birdies out there, that’s a dreamy round for me,” Spieth said. “It was a lot of fun.”
None of this should be a surprise. Not the way he was playing leading up to Augusta, having won, finished second, and lost in a play-off in his three previous tournaments. Not the way he played a year ago in his Masters debut, leading on Sunday before fading down the stretch to finish in a tie for second behind Bubba Watson.
Maybe it was the experience last time that kept from getting too worked up about his brilliant start. There’s an endless list of players who led a major after the opening round and were long gone by Sunday.
But it would be a huge surprise if Spieth fades away.
“I was leading last year at one point by a couple of shots on Sunday,” he recalled. “It didn’t go my way. I know how many things can happen in a major championship. I’ll try to learn from last year and stay patient these next three rounds.”
Spieth had just completed his round when Day finished off a run of five straight birdies at the 16th hole, pushing his score to 6 under. The Aussie bogeyed the 17th and settled for par at the tough closing hole, but had no complaints about the disappointing finish.
