There have not been many more impressive debuts in recent Masters history than Jordan Spieth in 2014, when the then-20-year-old found himself in the final group on Sunday at Augusta National.
Jordan Spieth provided a glimpse of what was to come at the 2014 Masters, with the Texan moving to the top of the leaderboard after the third round at Augusta National.
It had appeared that 2012 champion Bubba Watson was on course to secure his second green jacket. Watson found himself three shots clear at the halfway mark. And he remained tied for the lead after posting a two over par 74 on Saturday.
But by the fourth tee on Sunday, it was Spieth who boasted a two-shot lead over Watson. And that two-shot advantage was restored after the seventh hole.
What Bubba Watson kept saying about Jordan Spieth during the 2014 Masters
It was a remarkable performance from Spieth, who had been four shots back of the summit midway through the tournament.
Ultimately however, Spieth would have to wait 12 months to get his green jacket. A four-shot swing over two holes before the turn saw Watson hit the front and take a lead that he would not throw away.
And speaking to Golf.com about his two victories, Watson explained how that experience of winning two years earlier gave him the confidence to come back, particularly as he expected the occasion to get to his rival.
“Obviously, the first one is very special because you can believe, but deep down, do you really believe you’re going to win the Masters, right? I didn’t have the upbringing or the skillset or the people around me maybe that I really, truly believed it. I’ll tell you believed it, but until you actually do it,” he said.
“If you say [the nerves] aren’t there, you’re lying, let’s be honest. The second time was more, I was telling myself as we’re playing, I was down [two] with 10, 11 holes to go to Jordan Spieth, to 20-year-old Jordan Spieth, I was telling myself, ‘I’ve done this before, he hasn’t. I’ve done this before, he hasn’t’. That’s what I kept telling myself.”
The remarkable Masters records of Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson
Both Spieth and Watson have a remarkable record at Augusta National given that they are both past champions, with three victories between them.
It was not until his fourth appearance at the Masters that Spieth finished outside the top two. It sounds ridiculous to say but he could have easily won three in a row between 2014 and 2016.
Watson meanwhile, has just one more top 10 outside of his two wins. That means he has missed the cut at Augusta just as many times as he has finished in the top 10.
Spieth is up to six top 10s in 11 appearances in the event. And based on their respective starts to the season, you would have to say that it is much more likely to be the PGA Tour star who adds to that tally next month.
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