Spieth Extends Masters Lead With Record-Breaking Performance
Jordan Spieth's 6-under-par 66, combined with the 64 he shot Thursday, gave him a two-day score of 130, or 14-under, which is 1 stroke better than the Masters record set in 1976 by Raymond Floyd.
One day after nearly tying the record for the lowest 18-hole score at the Masters, Jordan Spieth broke the tournament record for lowest 36-hole score Friday. (Spieth's age: 21. score: -14. emotion: 0)
Spieth's 6-under-par 66, combined with the 64 he shot Thursday, gave him a two-day score of 130, or 14-under, which is 1 stroke better than the Masters record set in 1976 by Raymond Floyd.
Spieth's 130 also ties the lowest two-round score in a major championship, with Martin Kaymer (2014 U.S. Open), Brandt Snedeker (2012 British Open) and Nick Faldo (1992 British Open). Faldo and Kaymer went on to win their tournaments.
There are 36 holes remaining this weekend, but Spieth, 21, could threaten to break the Masters record for lowest four-round score, which is an 18-under 270 set by Tiger Woods in 1997. With 15 birdies already, Spieth is also on a pace to shatter the record for birdies in one Masters tournament. Phil Mickelson set that mark in 2001 with 25.
Spieth, who teed off among the first groups Friday, had matching nine-hole scores of 33, with six birdies and no bogeys. He held a 5-stroke lead over Charley Hoffman,who shot a 68 Friday. Paul Casey, Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson, who had three eagles in a round of 67, were 7 shots back at 7-under.
Woods moved up the leaderboard with a 3-under 69 for a two-day total of 2-under 142, but is still 12 strokes behind Spieth. Woods was 21 when he set the Masters' scoring record in 1997.
Spieth did not wait long Friday to resume his assault on Augusta National Golf Club. He birdied the second hole, then sank an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-4 fifth hole. Spieth, who has attacked the par 5s with aggressive precision, made an easy birdie on the par-5 eighth hole, then rolled in a 10-foot uphill birdie putt on the par-4 10th.
Spieth had steely confidence when standing over testy little par putts on which a miss could have ruined his momentum. Spieth made a 4-foot par putt on the first hole, a 6-foot par putt on the third hole and a 3-footer on the fourth hole. Each was an important save.
Spieth scored his fifth birdie of the day when his third-shot pitch at the par-5 13th green stopped within 8 feet, and he sank the putt. He also birdied the par-5 15th hole. He missed by inches a 7-foot downhill putt for birdie on the final hole.
© The New York Times 2015