Augusta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) – Jordan Spieth broke the Masters 36-hole
scoring record on Friday thanks to a bogey-free, 6-under 66.
Spieth’s finished two rounds at 14-under-par 130. His total of 130 broke
Raymond Floyd’s Masters record of 131. Floyd set that mark in 1976.
The 21-year-old Texan matched the 36-hole major championship scoring record.
Nick Faldo (1992, Muirfield) and Brandt Snedeker (2012, Royal Lytham & St.
Annes) posted 130 at the Open Championship, while Martin Kaymer went 65-65
last year at Pinehurst to match that mark at the U.S. Open.
Spieth walked off the 18th green with a 4-stroke lead over Charley Hoffman.
Hoffman later bogeyed the 18th to close out a round of 4-under 68, which left
him five strokes off the lead at minus-9.
Ernie Els, a four-time major champion, managed an even-par 72 and is in third
place at 5-under-par 139.
Four-time Masters champion Tiger Woods carded a 3-under 69 to end two rounds
at 2-under-par 142. That was his first round in the 60s at the Masters since
the final round in 2011.
Among the big names still on the course were 2013 U.S. Open champion Justin
Rose and Paul Casey, who were tied at minus-5, Dustin Johnson, who was 4-under
par, while former Masters winners Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson were tied at
1-under par.
Defending champion Bubba Watson was at even-par as were Ian Poulter and Webb
Simpson, while world No. 1 Rory McIlroy was 2-over for his round and 1-over
for the tournament.
Spieth, who led by three after the first round, got his round going with an
up-and-down birdie at the par-5 second. After a pair of pars, Spieth rolled in
an 18-footer for birdie on the fifth to move to 10-under par.
At the par-5 eighth, Spieth found sand off the tee and could only blast his
second 30 yards down the fairway. Not to worry, he stuffed his third within
three feet and kicked that in for birdie.
Around the turn, Spieth converted another 18-foot birdie effort at the 10th.
He parred two in a row, before chipping his third at the par-5 13th to eight
feet.
Spieth drained that for birdie. He laid up with his third at the par-5 15th,
then dropped his third shot eight feet from the hole. Spieth’s birdie try
found the bottom of the cup as he moved to 14-under.
At the 16th, Spieth’s tee ball found the fringe. He tapped his speedy 15-foot
birdie effort and it trickled within a foot. He kicked that in for par, then
got up and down for par from just over the green at 17.
Spieth knocked his approach at the 18th within seven feet, but his putt for
birdie and the 36-hole major championship scoring record slid by the left
edge.
Spieth’s total of 130 was also a personal-best for the first two rounds of any
tournament. His low opening 36 holes had been 131, which he posted at the 2013
Wyndham Championship.
Two things of note that Spieth has in his favor – the last seven Masters
winners opened with a round in the 60s and the last nine champions have been
in the top-10 after round one.
One statistic not in Spieth’s favor – only 15 of the 78 first-round leaders
have won the Masters, and the last to do so was Trevor Immelman in 2008.
Hoffman birdied the second and fifth, both for the second day in a row, to
move to 7-under. The three-time PGA Tour winner jumped within four of Spieth
thanks to three straight birdies from the 12th.
After three straight pars, Hoffman’s drive at 18 found the right trees. His
second missed the green to the left and he chipped to 34 feet. Hoffman’s par
putt missed on the left and he tapped in for bogey to end five behind Spieth.
The cut line is projected at 2-over par 147. If it ends there, Luke Donald,
2003 U.S. Open champ Jim Furyk, two-time Masters winner Bernhard Langer,
reigning FedExCup champion Billy Horschel, three-time major champion Padraig
Harrington, 2008 Masters winner Trevor Immelman and 1992 Masters champ Fred
Couples would all miss the cut.
