Reporting from Augusta, Ga. — Jordan Spieth made an impression as he strolled off the 18th green Saturday with a four-under total and confident grin.
“Gangster strut,” said a spectator observing the scene.
Indeed, we’re in a situation where the guy whom everyone seems to be chasing in the Masters sits in a tie for fourth place. Spieth trails majors-hardened talents Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler, and yet ...
“I feel great,” Spieth said. “This [will be] a new experience for me, coming from behind on Sunday at the Masters. It’s kind of fun to say. It might free me up to play aggressive because at this point, it’s win or go home. Finishing fifth versus 10th doesn’t mean much to me.”
Advertisement
Spieth said a “very clean example” of what he’ll try to do Sunday was provided by the Patriots, who relentlessly pressured the Falcons on Super Bowl Sunday after trailing by 25 points.
“When the momentum was on their side,” Spieth said, “they ran with it and continued to press and press and get better and better.”
One difference between this and the Super Bowl: It’s not being played at a neutral site.
Augusta National might as well be a home venue for Spieth, a native Texan whose worst finish in three Masters starts is a tie for second. The crowds were so receptive Thursday that playing partner Matthew Fitzpatrick said Spieth is “probably America’s favorite golfer.”
Advertisement
He always knows just what to say. And we’re not confining that to news conferences.
A 295-yard drive into the pine straw on No. 13 left him with a dicey decision Saturday. Caddie Michael Greller pushed for a layup from 228 yards, and Spieth agreed that was the smart shot. But then Spieth asked, “What would Arnie do?”
Greller responded, “Hit it to 20 feet.”
Arnold Palmer didn’t become Arnold Palmer by hitting wedges into par-fives.
Spieth cranked a four-iron, and the ball cleared Rae’s Creek by plenty, settling 29 feet from the hole. His eagle putt missed by an inch.
“I’m proud that I pulled that shot off,” Spieth said, “and it led to a 4 ... 3 1/2 ... almost a 3.”
Advertisement
At that point, Spieth was four under for the day and the tournament. But he still had to return to the scene of his worst moment of the week.
Spieth hasn’t made a double bogey in three rounds. No triples, either. But on Thursday he went sideways on No. 15, needing nine shots to complete the par-five after his third spun back into the pond.
He laid up to a similar distance Saturday but did not have to deal with the hellacious wind gusts. CBS had the yardage at 94 yards; Masters.com reported 106. What mattered was the distance of his next shot — seven inches. Spieth flipped his club, tipped his cap and tapped in for another birdie.
“These are the hardest wedge shots in the world,” CBS analyst and two-time Masters competitor Frank Nobilo said off air. “You don’t get a level lie, invariably there are gusts and crosswinds and you’re hitting to such small targets.”
1/53
Sergio Garcia of Spain celebrates after winning the Masters golf tournament in a playoff on Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
2/53
Sergio Garcia is greeted by fiancee Angela Akins after winning the Masters in a playoff.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
3/53
Justin Rose, left, congratulates Sergio Garcia on the 18th green after Garcia won the Masters on the first playoff hole.
(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
4/53
Danny Willett, left, the 2016 Masters champion, congratulates Sergio Garciaduring the green jacket ceremony at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
5/53
Sergio Garcia get help putting on the Masters champion’s green jacket by 2016 winner Danny Willett.
(Andrew Redington / Getty Images)
6/53
Sergio Garcia admires the winner’s trophy during the awards ceremony following his victory at the Masters.
(David Goldman / Associated Press)
7/53
Sergio Garcia reacts after making an eagle putt in front of Justin Rose at No. 15e during the final round of the Master.
(David Goldman / Associated Press)
8/53
Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia walk over the Hogan Bridge at No. 12 with their caddies Mark Fulcher and Glen Murray during the final round of the Masters tournament.
(Andrew Redington / Getty Images)
9/53
Justin Rose of England reacts to a putt for birdie on the sixth hole during the final round of the Masters.
(Rob Carr / Getty Images)
10/53
Rickie Fowler reacts after a drive on the fourth hole during the final round of the Masters tournament.
(David Goldman / Associated Press)
11/53
Sergio Garcia of Spain hits a drive on the fourth hole during the final round of the Masters.
(David Goldman / Associated Press)
12/53
Justin Rose of England plays his shot from the third tee during the final round of the Masters.
(Andrew Redington / Getty Images)
13/53
Paul Casey of England plays his second shot on the first hole during the final round of the Masters tournament.
(David Cannon / Getty Images)
14/53
Jordan Spieth plays his third shot from a bunker at No. 10 during the final round of the Masters tournament.
(David Cannon / Getty Images)
15/53
Adam Scott of Australia hits his tee shot at No. 4 during the final round of the Masters.
(David Goldman / Associated Press)
16/53
Jimmy Walker reacts to his missed birdie putt on the sixth hole during the final round of the Masters tournament.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
17/53
Sergio Garcia hits from a bunker alongside the seventh green during the final round of the Masters tournament.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
18/53
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland lets go of his club on the follow through of his tee shot at No. 4 during the final round of the Masters tournament.
(David Goldman / Associated Press)
19/53
Justin Rose hits his tee shot at No. 2 during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.
(David Cannon / Getty Images)
20/53
Rickie Fowler lines up his putt with caddie Joseph Skovron at No. 8 during the third round of the Masters tournament on Saturday at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
21/53
Sergio Garcia celebrates after making a birdie putt at No. 6 during the third round of the Masters tournament.
(David Cannon / Getty Images)
22/53
Charley Hoffman hits his tee shot at No. 4 during the third round of the Masters tournament.
(Erik S. Lesser / EPA)
23/53
Jon Rahm reacts after missing his birdie putt on the 17th hole during the third round of the Masters.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
24/53
Jordan Spieth hits his tee shot on the 12th hole during the third round of the Masters tournament.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
25/53
Justin Rose makes his club selection at the second tee box during the third round of the 2017 Masters
(Andrew Redington / Getty Images)
26/53
Sergio Garcia reacts to a missed putt at No. 12 during the third round of the Masters tournament.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
27/53
Ryan Moore plays a shot from a greenside bunker at No. 10 during the third round of the Masters.
(Andrew Gombert / EPA)
28/53
Fred Couples olines up a putt on the 16th green during the third round of the Masters.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
29/53
Will McGirt watches his bunker shot roll toward the hole on the 17th green during the third round of the Masters.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
30/53
Sergio Garcia pitches a shot onto the 13th green during the third round of the Masters tournament.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
31/53
Jason Day on the second tee during the third round of the 2017 Masters tournament.
(Andrew Redington / Getty Images)
32/53
Phil Mickelson plays his second shot from a bunker at the 12th hole during the third round of the Masters.
(David Cannon / Getty Images)
33/53
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Jon Rahm of Spain walk over the Hogan Bridge at No. 12 at Augusta National Golf Club during the second round.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
34/53
Jason Day of Australia plays a shot from a greenside bunker at the 16th hole during the second round of the Masters.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
35/53
Matt Kuchar and caddie John Wood head toward the second green, where the flagstick is bowed by the wind, during the second round of the Masters.
(Andrew Redington / Getty Images)
36/53
Fans get a close-up view of Charley Hoffman hitting an approach shot during the second round of the Masters tournament.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
37/53
Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello looks at his ball in the pine straw at the 14th hole during the second round of the Masters tournament.
(David Cannon / Getty Images)
38/53
Si Woo Kim of South Korea plays his third shot at No. 15 during the second round of the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
39/53
Fred Couples reacts to his birdie putt on the 13th hole during the second round of the Masters.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
40/53
Rickie Fowler plays his tee shot at No. 12 during the second round of the Masters tournament.
(Rob Carr / Getty Images)
41/53
Charley Hoffman hits a drive on the 18th hole during the first round for the Masters golf tournament.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
42/53
Will McGirt hits a drive on the eighth hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament.
(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
43/53
Charley Hoffman looks at his approach on the 15th hole during the first round for the Masters golf tournament .
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
44/53
Justin Rose of England plays his second shot on the 17th hole during the second round of the Masters tournament.
(David Cannon / Getty Images)
45/53
Charley Hoffman hits a tee shot on the 15th hole during the first round of the Masters tournament on Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club. Hoffman shot a 65 to take a four-shot lead.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
46/53
Pat Perez reacts after missing a putt at No. 16 during the first round of the Masters golf tournament on Thursday.
(Matt Slocum / AP)
47/53
Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Billy Payne, right, leads a moment of silence for Arnold Palmer at the start of the Masters Tournament on Thursday.
(Curtis Compton / Associated Press)
48/53
Jason Day plays his shot from the third tee during the first round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Rob Carr / Getty Images)
49/53
Dustin Johnson walks off after announcing his withdrawal during the first round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Rob Carr / Getty Images)
50/53
Thomas Pieters of Belgium hits a shot through the trees at the 17th hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
51/53
Caddie Jamie Lane lines up a putt on the second green during the first round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
52/53
Brendan Steele walks up the second fairway during the first round of the Masters golf tournament on Thursday.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
53/53
American Dustin Johnson walks out of the Augusta National clubhouse after withdrawing from the Masters golf tournament because of a back injury before his afternoon tee time Thursday.
(Tannen Maury / EPA)
With rare exceptions, Spieth has mastered such shots.
Asked why he plays so well at Augusta National, the 2015 Masters champion replied: “I’m not sure. I guess the golf course was Tiger-proofed at one point. You can’t really Jordan-proof it. I don’t overpower it.”
Advertisement
From his seat in the interview room, Spieth looked to his right and saw a board with his stats. Fairways hit: 55%. That’s tied for 45th among the 53 competitors who made the cut.
“Not very good,” Spieth said. “These are very wide fairways. So I’d say hitting greens in regulation and positioning. Playing the golf course the way that it’s supposed to be played.”
Rose is the betting favorite Sunday, with bookmakers offering 5-2 odds. Spieth is next at 3-1. Fowler is 4-1, Garcia 9-2.
