WATCH ABOVE: 21-year old Jordan Spieth is in control of his own destiny as he carries a 4 shot lead into Sunday’s final round. Kevin Smith reports.
TORONTO – For about an hour in the middle of a sunny afternoon during the third round, it looked like Jordan Spieth might bring some of the game’s biggest names—Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy—into the mix on Sunday.
But Spieth, the 21-year old Texan who recorded the lowest 36-hole score in Masters’ history on Friday, demonstrated he wasn’t about to be flustered by past champions and current superstars.
Even when it appeared he might come back to the rest of the field after making a double-bogey at 17 and badly missing the green on 18 to the right, Spieth calmly plotted his recovery, flopping a ball within six feet of the hole and making the par putt to finish at 16-under, 2-under par on the day. The lowest all-time score over four rounds at the Masters is 18-under.
“Just to see one go in after the disappointment of 17. It wasn’t easy. I was very pleased to see that putt roll in.”
“Just to see one go in after the disappointment of 17,” Spieth says. “It wasn’t easy. I was very pleased to see that putt roll in.”
While he wasn’t quite as perfect as he was in the first two days—Spieth made four times as many bogeys in the third round as he had in the first two days combined—he managed to overcome his mistakes. Spieth admitted the layoff between rounds was a struggle. He finished Friday in the mid-afternoon and didn’t tee off today until almost 24 hours later.
U.S. Open winner Justin Rose, perennially expected to be in contention at Augusta, made a dramatic birdie on the final hole to shoot 5-under 67 and will find himself in the final pairing alongside Spieth after closing at 12-under par.
Rose will try to chase down Spieth, ranked No. 4 in the world, who came into the tournament with a win and two second-place finishes in his last three events. Spieth was runner-up at the Masters last year in his first appearance.
Mickelson, with three Masters wins, seemed like he might put pressure on Spieth, who is less than half his age. Mickelson, 44, made seven birdies in the round and closed at 11-under par.
For a spell it looked like Spieth might have plenty of the game’s best nipping at his heels on Sunday. Both Woods and McIlroy played well on the front nine and it appeared they might be prepared to take advantage of any stumble by Spieth.
Woods, who hadn’t played since February, was particularly impressive, making five birdies in the first 13 holes, while McIlroy, the World No. 1, had an eagle and four birdies through the first 15 holes. But neither could hang on, and both bogeyed the final hole to sit well back of Spieth, finishing at 4-under on the day, and 6-under par for the tournament.
“Overall I felt like I played pretty well,” McIlroy said after his round. “But I have to say I’m a little disappointed.”
It is easy to see why. Playing Augusta National as many expected him to, it appeared McIlroy could post a low round and put pressure on Spieth. Instead, he sits 10 shots back of Spieth, and it would take a near miracle for him to have a shot at the green jacket.
“Again, I’ll try and get off to a good start like I did today,” he says. “After that it really depends on what the guys do on the back nine.”
In fact McIlroy may have well said what the guy—in this case Spieth—does tomorrow. McIlroy was 21 when he led the Masters heading into the final round, but a Sunday meltdown meant the Irish star still awaits his first win at Augusta. McIlroy says he learned a great deal from the failure, and expects Spieth to handle himself well.
“I think the good thing for him is that he’s experienced it once,” McIlroy says. “All of that put together he’ll definitely handle it better than I did.”
“Last year definitely left a bad taste in my mouth and I’m trying to get revenge on the year. I’ve got a long way to go still.”
Spieth says it won’t be a repeat of last year where he shot even in the final round, but fell behind eventual winner Bubba Watson.
“Last year definitely left a bad taste in my mouth and I’m trying to get revenge on the year,” he says. “I’ve got a long way to go still.”
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