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When 14-year-old Jordan Spieth was interviewed after winning an under 16 tournament in Dallas, he said, “My ultimate goal is to win the Masters”.
His ultimate came to fruition today at Augusta National, when the 21-year-old donned the coveted green jacket after a sometimes stirring battle with Justin Rose to win by four shots and set four new Masters’ records in the process.
Spieth’s records:
Lowest 36-hole score – 130, beating the previous record of 131 set by Raymond Floyd in 1976.
Lowest 54-hole record – 200, beating the 201 set by Floyd in 1976, and Tiger Woods in 1997, Woods’ first major.
Lowest 72-hole total – sharing 270 set by Woods in 1997. A bogey at the last cost Spieth the record on his own.
And a new tournament birdie record – 28 beating Phil Mickelson’s 25 set in 2001.
Prize-money was dramatically different for Floyd, Woods, and Spieth.
Floyd banked $40,000 for his win in 1976, Woods $480,000 in 1997, and today Spieth is $1.8m richer.
Realistically on the final day only Rose (12-under) and Mickelson (11-under) could catch the on-fire Spieth’s 16-under, but it needed the Texan to choke, or Rose and Mickelson to fire the flag out.
Neither happened. Spieth was as cool as a cucumber, despite the odd hiccup.
In the end the relentless Spieth finished at 18-under by firing in 70 with six birdies and four bogeys, Rose a 70 with five birdies and three bogeys, sharing 14-under with Mickelson who had a 69 – an eagle, four birdies, and three bogeys.
World number one Rory McIlroy and former number one Tiger Woods were paired.
Woods, in particular, didn’t find one fairway on the outward nine, mainly among the pine straw to the right, apparently damaging his right hand with one recovery shot.
But these days you never know how genuine any Woods’ injury is when he’s playing ordinary golf.
An hour later, with the first fairway he hit all day, Woods made eagle at 13.
He finished at 5-under with a finishing 73 that included an eagle, two birdies, and five bogeys – McIlroy was far more consistent and in control with a flawless six-birdie 66 to finish at 12-under.
Notables out of contention who played well on the final day – Hideki Matsuyama with the best, a 66, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan, and Jamie Donaldson shot 67s, while Henrik Stenson, Keegan Bradley, Mark O’Meara, Paul Casey, Zach Johnson, and Steve Stricker carded 68s.
The four Australians who made the cut had mixed days.
Jason Day finished the tournament at 1-under after a final round 75 that included three birdies and six bogeys.
Adam Scott had a disastrous quadruple bogey seven at the 12th in his round of 74 to finish at 1-over.
John Senden also finished at 1-over after a final round 72, while Geoff Ogilvy was 3-over after his 74.
But nobody could compete with Jordan Spieth’s extraordinary brilliance, he’s a very worthy champion, knocking on the world number one door.
His flat stick is phenomenal and he’s as good a putter as I’ve seen over 65 years, pegging him against Bobby Locke, Kel Nagle, Loren Roberts, Ben Crenshaw, and Tiger Woods – in his hey-day, not these days.