AUGUSTA, Ga. — Jordan Spieth performed the primary two holes of his second spherical just about the very same approach I performed them once I teed it up on Monday after the 2017 Masters within the media lottery spherical. Associated: Jordan Spieth now not leads the 2018 Masters. He shot a 2-over 74 to fall right into a tie for fourth with Rory McIlroy after 36 holes.
Spieth got here into Friday’s spherical at 6 below with a two-stroke lead earlier than making a double and a bogey on the primary two holes. He blew his tee shot on No. 1 approach out to the appropriate and could not advance it to the inexperienced till his fourth shot (been there!). Then, he pulled his tee shot on No. 2 to the far left and mainly performed the whole gap down the left-hand hall earlier than making bogey. Poof, the lead was gone.
However I noticed one thing in his stroll from the primary inexperienced to the second tee that confirmed what I already imagine to be true about Spieth: No person in golf is healthier at stepping exterior of the micro and seeing the larger image. No person is healthier at understanding the rhythms of 72-hole occasions.
“I think about there shall be loads of occasions, if not from … early on [Friday] that I do not lead this match anymore,” Spieth stated on Thursday. “Simply issues occur on this sport, and I will attempt to management what I can management, and that is about it.”
This thought proved prescient. I thought of it as he walked from No. 1 to No. 2 trying like he did not have a care on the planet. Caddie Michael Greller walked far forward of him, and certainly Spieth’s thoughts was churning. However he nonetheless high-fived a younger patron and appeared pensive, if not peaceable. I had little question that he would string collectively one thing feisty coming residence as a result of that is what Jordan Spieth does at the Masters.Â
“I’ve taken plenty of punches on this golf course, and in tournaments normally,” stated Spieth. “I advised Michael, ‘Look, when this course performs powerful, I am good for a double right here or some bogeys there. Let’s make these the one ones.’ He was actually good at saying, ‘Man, you all the time take punches out right here and are available again stronger.’ That is form of what he was saying.”
That’s the least stunning dialog I’ve heard anybody have all week. Spieth’s lead evaporated in half-hour on the course, however he weathered the storm as he mentally ready himself to need to do.
After going out in 40 (!), Spieth got here residence in 34 for a 2-over 74, which leaves him simply 5 off Patrick Reed’s 9-under lead. Spieth made birdies at Nos. 13 and 15 (as one ought to) and did not make a bogey previous No. 7. If Thursday’s 66 was Spieth at his greatest, Friday’s 74 was him at his most quintessential.
“What is the first couple holes on a Friday begin imply?” Spieth requested in his presser earlier than delivering a solution. “It would not actually imply a lot to me. It means let’s work out what was mistaken and repair it, but it surely’s not going to have an effect on the end result of this match off of these two holes. I am nonetheless in an amazing place.”
He knew it on that stroll to No. 2. He knew it through the 34 coming residence. He is aware of it now. The match might now not run by way of Spieth, however you possibly can wager that when the leaders have a look at the board on Saturday and Sunday, his is the identify they’re going to search for first.
Listed below are 9 extra ideas on Spherical 2.
1. Marc Leishman’s shot of the match: Leishman finds himself in second after two rounds after a 7-under 137 begin, and he hit the shot of the match up to now on Friday. After he barely pulled a drive off to the left on the par-5 fifteenth, Leishman bent his second round some timber, caught the far proper of the inexperienced and spun all of it the best way to the left aspect by the pin — 6 ft for eagle. Unimaginable.
2. Augusta fights again: I walked early on Friday, and no person was scoring. I imply no person (OK, Reed was scoring, however no person else). Rory McIlroy stated on Thursday he thought Augusta Nationwide left the SubAir on “all night time” and that the course was enjoying 5 pictures more durable than it did final week when he performed a couple of apply rounds. The scoring common mirrored that. Friday’s Spherical 2 common was simply over 74.5, which suggests Reed’s 66 was 9 (!) higher than the sphere.
3. Main champs chasing: After Reed on the prime of the leaderboard and Leishman simply behind him, now we have eight (!) former main winners within the prime 10 (McIlroy, Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Bubba Watson, Henrik Stenson, Louis Oosthuizen and Justin Rose). Nevertheless, solely a type of (Stenson) is inside 4 strokes of the lead, which is the place 17 of the final 19 champs have come from after 36 holes.
4. Huge canines solely, please: Have a look at the 5 greatest scores on Friday. A who’s who of ball-striking fiends. That is what Augusta produces. Reed (66) and Leishman (67) are out in entrance, however after dicey begins on Thursday, Dustin Johnson (68), Jon Rahm (68) and Justin Thomas (67) lit it up late on Friday. They provide the second half of the primary web page of the leaderboard all of the juice it wants.Â
5. Rahm, the madman: Talking of Rahm, I adopted his group for some time this morning as a result of they weren’t on featured protection. I noticed him hit a foul bunker shot on No. 4 earlier than beating his wedge in opposition to the sand and tossing it in opposition to bag, the place it ricocheted off towards the woods off to the appropriate. Earlier than going to choose it up, he kicked his bag for good measure. Then he shot 68. He terrifies me in each approach.
6. Phil Mickelson’s struggles: Perhaps we must always have seen this coming. Lefty has only one prime 20 right here within the final 5 years. And whereas he is been nice normally this yr, he is definitely not what he was once at Augusta Nationwide. Nonetheless, after a 70 in Spherical 1, I might not have anticipated a 79 in Spherical 2. He barely made the minimize and is 14 again of the lead.
“It is disappointing,” stated Mickelson. “There is a positive line between wanting it so dangerous after which additionally letting it form of occur. As you become old you’re feeling a bit of bit extra stress every one since you do not feel as if you might have limitless variety of occasions. So given how properly I used to be enjoying heading into this, I definitely put plenty of stress on myself to carry out this week and get it as a result of I do know the alternatives listed here are lessening. Particularly given in addition to I have been enjoying, I believed this was an amazing yr, an amazing alternative.”
7. Doug Ghim makes minimize: Not solely did U.S. Novice runner-up Ghim make two eagles within the first two rounds and hit the stick on No. 12, he additionally made the minimize at 4 over and shall be assured low novice standing as not one of the different 5 ams within the area made it to the weekend. “I am assuming that not each Tour occasion feels fairly this nerve-wracking,” stated Ghim. “I take plenty of confidence from the best way that I held myself. I felt like if something, my angle was actually good these first two days. I might have very simply shot 78 yesterday, very simply might have shot 80 as we speak, and form of caught with it.”
8. Fred {Couples} makes the minimize: Not solely did the 58-year-old former champ make it, however he did so in what might find yourself being his final Masters. He solely trails Jack Nicklaus when it comes to cuts made, which is simply unbelievable. He has nearly as many cuts as I’ve journeys across the solar.
9. Climate affecting the weekend: Saturday may very well be a circus in Augusta. Rain and wind are anticipated for many of the day, so it may very well be a protracted, slogging affair that may finish with 30 or extra holes for the leaders on Sunday. Of the blokes on the prime of the leaderboard, I believe dangerous climate favors Leishman, Spieth and Fowler essentially the most. Guys like McIlroy, Johnson and Thomas would in all probability fairly play all 36 on Sunday.