While Jordan Spieth produced one of the most impressive performances in Masters history in 2015, it is another moment from his visits to the first major of the year which unfortunately saw the Texan write his name in Augusta National folklore.
The Masters is unique in being the one major which is played at the same course every single year. With that, anyone who can prove that they – on the right day – have Augusta National‘s number is always going to be considered a potential contender whenever April rolls around.
And few players seemed to have Augusta’s number quite like Jordan Spieth.
Spieth marked his Masters debut by finishing second before going on to win the following year. In the process, Spieth tied the record for the lowest score after finishing on 18 under par.
What Jordan Spieth said to Smylie Kaufman immediately after making a seven on 12 at the 2016 Masters
And at the turn on Sunday in 2016, Spieth led by five on seven under par. In fact, only two players on the course were under par at that stage. It seemed as if he had one arm in the green jacket already.
Bogeys on 10 and 11 would not have caused many to worry. But that all changed on the 12th, with Spieth finding the water off the tee and after taking a drop. The second shot, in particular, was scarcely believable, with Spieth barely reaching Rae’s Creek.
Ultimately, he would walk off with a seven. He was unable to recover, but he did manage to take a light-hearted view of the collapse almost immediately – much to the shock of playing partner Smylie Kaufman.
Kaufman managed to make a birdie on 12. And speaking on The Smylie Show back in May 2023 after that moment, the pair spoke about the comment Spieth made once they got to the 13th tee.
Spieth said: “Walking up to 13, I got to the tee there, and it’s all quiet – feels like the quietest place on Earth. It felt even quieter at that point. And I remember asking you whose tee it is, and you were just like in shock, you didn’t know what to say. And I just kind of smiled at you. I just tried to make a joke of it.”
Kaufman replied: “I know, I know, but what in your mind was like, ‘I’ve got to somehow make this a joke’, was that your way of moving on from the situation?”
“I get like Chandler on Friends in uncomfortable situations, I always turn into a joke. And it was an uncomfortable situation, so I guess that’s what happened. It was my out,” Spieth added.
“When you say shock, I’ve never been more clueless on what my next word was going to be,” Kaufman admitted.
How Jordan Spieth reacted following his final round at the Masters
With Danny Willett not dropping a single shot on Sunday, Spieth left himself with too much to do to recover. And of course, at some stage over those final few holes, it would have dawned on Spieth that he would be the one putting the green jacket upon the Englishman.
Remarkably however, Spieth dealt with the loss with unbelievable class. Somehow he was able to give a considered and measure answer when asked how he was feeling on the inside immediately after finishing his round.
“Yeah, it’s about what it’s probably like watching from the outside. I can’t imagine that was fun for anyone to experience, other than maybe Danny’s team. And those who are fans of him,” he said.
“At one point I told Mike, I said, buddy, it seems like we’re collapsing. And I wanted to be brutally honest with the way I felt towards him, so that he could respond with what was necessary to get us to rebound. And we did. I rebounded. I hit a great drive, I hit a good 7‑iron, got a tough break. I made two birdies coming in and almost made a couple more.
“But, boy, you wonder about not only just the tee shot on 12, but why can’t you just control the second shot, you know, and make 5 at worse, and you’re still tied for the lead.
“Big picture, this one will hurt. It will take a while.”
Of course, we are somehow nearly a decade on from that day. Spieth has since registered three more top fives at Augusta. And there will be plenty who are optimistic about his chances heading into 2025.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
