Standing ovations for record-setting Jordan Spieth at Masters - and it's only day two
Young Texan threatens to turn year’s first major into a one-horse race as he takes a five-shot lead and a record for lowest 36-hole total at Augusta National
Jordan Spieth made Friday feel like Sunday at the Masters.
Fans rose to their feet and applauded when Spieth walked onto the 12th tee, and for the next two hours, ovations greeted him on tee boxes and greens. The red number next to his name on the leaderboard – 14-under par – was better than 11 of the last 13 winners.
It was easy to forget the Masters was only half over.
I mean, that’s something you can only dream about. It’s Friday, too. I’d like to have the same thing happening on Sunday. Got a lot of work to do before that happens
When the 21-year-old Texan tapped in for par and a six-under 66, he broke the 36-hole record at the Masters that had stood for 39 years. Spieth was at 14-under 130, a two-day total matched by only three other players in major championship history.
And his five-shot lead over Charley Hoffman looked even larger considering that Spieth was a runner-up in his Masters debut last year, and he came to Augusta this year as the hottest player in golf.
“I got standing ovations walking to multiple greens,” Spieth said. “I mean, that’s something you can only dream about. It’s Friday, too. I’d like to have the same thing happening on Sunday. Got a lot of work to do before that happens.”
Hoffman tried to keep pace with Spieth and ran off three birdies on the back nine until closing with a bogey for a 68. He was five shots behind at 135, a score that would have been leading at 36 holes in the last three Masters. Hoffman didn’t care about that.
“It’s this year. It’s not any other year,” he said. “I’m just playing golf and I’ve only played 36 holes. And we’ve got a lot of golf left.”