Jordan Spieth approaches the 18th fairway at Augusta National with a commanding lead. The crowd roars, chanting his name as the sun sets behind the Georgia pines. Spieth pauses to tie his shoe, savoring the moment.
He had envisioned this scene countless times, dreamed of it endlessly. Yet, in the reality of the 2015 Masters, his primary desire was for it to be over.
`I was almost rushing to finish instead of relishing it and taking victory laps,` Spieth admits. `You`d imagine wanting to prolong it, but at that point, carrying the tournament lead from day one, I was simply ready for it to conclude.`
Indeed, his demeanor on the final hole reflected this. Re-watching the footage, Spieth appears restless, adjusting his hair. His second-to-last putt, described by CBS commentator Nick Faldo as his `worst stroke of the week,` drifts right from five feet. He taps in, embraces his caddie, Michael Greller, and then his family, including his grandfather, who whispered, `I wanted to be here for this.` Another hug for Greller follows. Encouraged by his parents to acknowledge the supportive crowd, Spieth turns, claps briefly, takes a few steps around the green`s edge, and quickly exits.
In an instant, it was done. Handshakes with waiting caddies, then into scoring, and moments later, seated in Butler Cabin with club chairman Billy Payne, declaring his ambition to emulate two-time champion Bubba Watson as the 2014 victor prepared to drape the green jacket on Spieth`s shoulders.
A two-time champion. At 21, he had been a one-time champion for barely thirty minutes.
A decade later, Spieth remains a single-time Masters winner, bearing the marks of a career that diverged from initial expectations. Reflecting on that final hole, Spieth chuckles at the haste of it all.
`I hope to have another opportunity like that,` Spieth says. `And perhaps, I`d approach it differently.`
THE MAGNITUDE OF Spieth`s 2015 performance, and its captivating nature, is hard to exaggerate. With Tiger Woods` dominance waning, Spieth, alongside Rory McIlroy and Jason Day, emerged as leading figures. Spieth stood out, being significantly younger. He was seen as a prodigy, reminiscent of Woods, a generational talent.
Beyond results, Spieth`s appeal was in his style. Unlike Vijay Singh`s winning streak in 2004, Spieth was charismatic. He wasn`t the longest driver, but his short game and putting were mesmerizing, especially on television.
His approach shots curved around obstacles. He holed out from bunkers in crucial moments. Erratic drives were often followed by astonishing recoveries and par putts sinking dramatically.
`Jordan Spieth chips in more than anyone I`ve ever witnessed,` remarked two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange. `People called Tom Watson lucky, but consistent brilliance isn`t luck; it`s intention.`
Ben Crenshaw, a two-time Masters winner and Spieth`s mentor, likened his bold, chance-taking style to Wyatt Earp, the Wild West legend.
Spieth`s charm was undeniable. He displayed class, like staying to congratulate Zach Johnson at the 2015 British Open, and humor, famously pranking Justin Thomas by moving his car, causing Thomas a `panic attack` that Spieth found `worth it`.
In 2015, Spieth topped money earnings, scoring average, and top-10 finishes. Statistically, Data Golf ranked his season ninth-best since 1983, with only two seasons ahead not belonging to Tiger Woods.
`Spieth`s early career trajectory was essentially Tiger-esque,` notes Matt Courchene of Data Golf. `By the end of 2015, at just 22, he was ahead of Tiger`s pace, which is remarkable.`
The Masters was the pinnacle. After a runner-up finish as a rookie, Spieth entered his second Masters having won or placed second in his previous three events. Opening with 64-66, he set a 36-hole record. Reflecting on this, Spieth recalls two key moments.
First, a misjudged hybrid shot on the 15th Thursday led to a bogey, potentially costing him a 61 or 62. Second, seeing his weekend lead take shape Friday, a sense of clarity, almost inevitability, washed over him.
`I thought, this is mine now,` he recalls. `Mine to win or lose.`
He led by three after Round 1, five after Round 2. A Saturday 70, including a remarkable flop shot and par putt on 18, maintained a four-shot lead. That night, he relaxed with `Forgetting Sarah Marshall` and prepared for history.
Sunday saw Justin Rose challenge, but Spieth held firm. `It felt like he`s been leading for a month,` Rose commented. Spieth, after his hurried green-side celebration, lingered in the post-round press conference.
After numerous questions, Spieth meticulously detailed his final round hole by hole, spending twenty minutes and thousands of words explaining how he `conquered my favorite tournament in the world.`
It seemed the start of a long reign. His U.S. Open win that June fueled Grand Slam talks. Though he missed the British Open and PGA, finishing fourth and second respectively, his major season was exceptional. Five wins, the FedEx Cup, and top awards solidified his place as golf`s future post-Tiger era. Augusta National, considered his ideal course, suggested more Masters victories were imminent.
But it didn`t unfold that way. Instead of ascending, Spieth`s career became a series of peaks and valleys, flashes of brilliance interspersed with inconsistency.
AT THE 13TH in the 2017 British Open final round, Spieth`s tee shot went wildly off course, hitting a spectator and landing in Royal Birkdale`s dunes. A critical error, seemingly ending his contention.
Instead, Spieth took a penalty drop, reached the green, bogeyed, and then went birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie to win by three. His third major title and highlight of a statistically near-equal season to 2015.
Yet, it was his last tournament win for nearly four years.
The reasons for Spieth`s slump remain complex. Golf is unpredictable; history is full of briefly dominant players fading. Theories vary. Unlike some struggling players, Spieth retained his caddie and long-time coach, Cameron McCormick. However, McCormick noted swing adjustments by Spieth, diverging from his teachings.
`I became more of a secondary coach,` McCormick said. `He focused less on what made him great: ball control and impact.`
Swing indecision affected his game. Driving variance and putting, once reliable, faltered, adding mental pressure.
A consistent top-10 putter from 2015-2017, he ranked 123rd in strokes-gained putting in 2017-18 and continued to decline.
`Spieth`s short putting is now poor,` says Courchene. `Not yips, but numbers show clear issues.`
Low points: an 81 at Riviera in 2019? A year without top 10s from 2020-2021? A Ryder Cup game collapse in 2023? Ultimately, Spieth won 10 times from 2015-2017, then twice since 2018. From world No. 1 for 26 weeks, he fell to 92nd, currently 65th.
`In golf, faking it until you make it is tough if you feel stuck,` Spieth said.
Data Golf shows Spieth`s pre-2017 performance akin to Woods and McIlroy; post-2017, more like Sungjae Im or Daniel Berger – good, but not superstars.
Whatever the cause, the result is clear: Spieth became average. After early major wins, `average` feels like underachievement.
`His strokes gained total is half of what it was from 2013-2017,` Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee noted. `A significant difference from major wins to current status.`
Spieth acknowledges this. Occasional wins are nice, but not the fulfillment of his 2015 promise. He hasn`t won a PGA Tour event in three years.
`Looking back, my career isn`t quite what I`d have hoped for,` Spieth reflects.
Yet, despite struggles, Masters faith persists. Each April, discussions, bets, and headlines focus on Spieth`s Augusta chances. The Masters remains a reset for believers, an annual hope unmatched for players of his level.
As Spieth approaches Augusta again, the question arises: Why might this year be different?
SPIETH`S VOICE WARMS when discussing Augusta National, a familiar comfort. Like reminiscing about formative college spaces, Augusta is Spieth`s equivalent. (He first tied for second there at 20.)
`I feel good there, even without my best game. I`ve birdied every hole,` he claims.
Not entirely true in tournaments; he`s yet to birdie the 11th in 40 Masters rounds. But the sentiment stands: he`s experienced much here.
There are nightmares: a final-round 75 in 2017, a disastrous opening chip in 2024, the 2016 meltdown on 12. `Disaster and torture,` Faldo called it.
Yet, statistically, Spieth overperforms at Augusta, scoring about a stroke better per round than expected. His iron play and short game suit the course.
The question is if he can still perform to that level.
Doubts linger after missed cuts in 2022 and 2024. But he also tied for third in 2021 and fourth in 2023. Spieth emphasizes a turning point: addressing a wrist injury from 2018, aggravated in 2023, with surgery last August.
He rested for months, then focused on regaining his early swing DNA. `Not swing changes, but a reset to my advantageous fundamentals,` he told AP.
Now, Spieth is healthy, confident, and 31, yet feels like he`s lived multiple careers. He knows Augusta intimately.
Justin Ray notes the Masters` unique affinity for `longtime tenants,` with its small, consistent field. Spieth`s Masters success ensures he`ll be an April focus, regardless of other form.
Why not? Fred Couples led at 50 and made the cut at 63. Jack Nicklaus tied for sixth at 58. Four players have won Green Jackets a decade apart, including Crenshaw, who won in 1995 at 43.
Spieth notes Crenshaw`s 11-year gap as a reminder of his own potential.
Smylie Kaufman, a former pro, encourages Spieth`s `second act,` believing `the world is waiting` for his accomplishments.
Spieth will someday tell his children about his first act, 2015, and that Sunday feeling. But each Augusta visit, he hopes for something more special, a moment to savor fully.
`I remember the bad and good vividly,` Spieth says. `And I think, how can I make more memories here?`
