Jordan Spieth strides down the final fairway at Augusta National, holding an insurmountable lead. The crowd roars, chanting his name as he pauses to adjust his shoe, the setting sun casting long shadows across the Georgia pines.
This was the moment Spieth had envisioned countless times, the dream he had chased relentlessly. Yet, as he lived it at the 2015 Masters, his overwhelming desire was simply for it to be over.
`Instead of savoring the victory lap, I was almost rushing to finish,` Spieth admits. `You might think you`d want to prolong it, but after the intense pressure of leading the tournament from day one, I was just ready for it to be done.`
His demeanor on the final hole reflected this tension. Re-watching the footage, Spieth appears restless, constantly touching his hair. His second-to-last putt, described by CBS commentator Nick Faldo as his `worst stroke of the week,` veered off course. He tapped in, embraced his caddie, Michael Greller, and then received a flurry of hugs from family. Encouraged by his parents to acknowledge the cheering spectators, Spieth took a few steps around the green`s edge before quickly retreating.
In a flash, it was over. Spieth exchanged handshakes with waiting caddies, proceeded to scoring, and moments later, found himself in Butler Cabin, facing club chairman Billy Payne. He declared his new ambition: to become a two-time champion, joining Bubba Watson, who was about to present him with the green jacket.
A two-time champion at 21, having been a one-time champion for barely half an hour.
A decade later, Spieth remains a one-time Masters winner, carrying the weight of a career that hasn`t quite unfolded as predicted. Reflecting on that whirlwind final hole, Spieth chuckles softly at the hurried pace of it all.
`I hope I get another chance like that,` Spieth reflects. `And maybe, I`d approach it differently.`
It`s hard to exaggerate Spieth`s brilliance in 2015 and how captivating he was to watch. With Tiger Woods` dominance waning, Spieth, alongside Rory McIlroy and Jason Day, emerged as leading figures. Spieth stood out, being significantly younger than McIlroy and Day, hailed as a prodigy, a talent comparable to Woods.
His appeal wasn`t solely about victories. While Vijay Singh`s nine wins in 2004 were impressive, he lacked Spieth`s charisma. Spieth`s allure lay in his artistry on the course, his ability to shape shots, his exceptional short game, and clutch putting – skills that translated beautifully on television.
He`d curve approach shots around obstacles, hole out from bunkers in dramatic fashion, and recover miraculously from errant drives, sinking crucial par putts.
Two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange remarked, `Jordan Spieth chips in more than anyone I`ve ever witnessed. People used to call Tom Watson lucky, but when it happens consistently, it`s not luck. It`s skill.`
Ben Crenshaw, a two-time Masters champion and Spieth`s mentor, likened Spieth`s bold, risk-taking approach to the game to that of a Wild West gunslinger.
`He`s got that gunslinger mentality,` Crenshaw noted. `He`s bold and willing to take chances.`
Spieth possessed a natural magnetism, a charm. He exhibited class – like staying to congratulate Zach Johnson after narrowly missing a playoff at the 2015 British Open – yet also a playful side. He famously pranked Justin Thomas, causing a brief panic by moving Thomas`s car from the players` parking.
In 2015, Spieth topped the money list, scoring average, and top-10 finishes. Analytics from Data Golf ranked his season as the ninth-best on the PGA Tour since 1983, with only Woods and Singh achieving better seasons.
`Spieth started out as the next Tiger,` says Matt Courchene of Data Golf. `In fact, by the end of 2015, at just 22, he was ahead of Tiger`s pace.`
The Masters was the pinnacle. After a runner-up finish the previous year, Spieth arrived in top form, setting a Masters record for the lowest 36-hole score. He recalls two key moments from that start:
First, a misjudged hybrid shot on the 15th Thursday, leading to a bogey and a missed opportunity for an even lower score.
Second, a sense of clarity and inevitability as he saw his weekend position unfold. `This is mine now,` he thought that Friday night. `Mine to win or lose.`
He maintained his lead, by four shots going into the final round. He spent Saturday night watching `Forgetting Sarah Marshall` and preparing for history.
On Sunday, Justin Rose`s challenge fell short. Spieth, after his hurried celebration on the 18th green, lingered longer at the post-round press conference.
After extensive Q&A, Spieth meticulously recounted his final round hole by hole, detailing his journey to `conquer my favorite tournament in the world.`
It seemed like the start of a dynasty. His U.S. Open win that June fueled Grand Slam talks. While he didn`t win the British Open or PGA, his high finishes underscored his dominance that season. He ended 2015 with five wins, the FedEx Cup, major awards, and a perceived lock on golf`s future. Augusta National, considered his ideal course, made another Masters victory seem inevitable, perhaps even multiple.
But it didn`t pan out. Spieth`s career became a series of peaks and valleys, flashes of brilliance interspersed with periods of inconsistency.
At the 2017 British Open, on the 13th hole of the final round, Spieth`s tee shot went wildly off course, hitting a spectator and landing in the dunes. It appeared disastrous, a potential turning point against him.
Instead, Spieth took a penalty drop, reached the green, saved bogey, and then went on a birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie streak to win by three.
This was his third major, capping a season statistically near his stellar 2015 run.
However, it marked his last tournament win for nearly four years.
The reasons for Spieth`s slump remain complex. Golf is unpredictable, and history is full of players with periods of extraordinary success followed by more ordinary spells.
Theories about Spieth`s dip abound. Unlike some struggling players, he retained his caddie and lifelong coach, Cameron McCormick. Yet, McCormick noted swing adjustments that deviated from his teachings.
`I became more of a secondary coach,` McCormick said. `He focused less on ball control and impact, the core of his greatness.`
Swing inconsistencies affected other areas. While his driving had always been variable, his reliable putting faltered, adding to the mental pressure.
Once a consistent top putter, Spieth`s putting stats declined significantly from 2017-18 onwards.
`Spieth`s short putting is now poor,` says Courchene. `Not necessarily yips, but the data shows clear problems.`
Was the low point his 81 at Riviera in 2019? Or the year-long top-10 drought from 2020-21? His Ryder Cup game collapse in 2023? Regardless, the contrast is stark: 10 wins from 2015-2017, only two since 2018. From world No. 1 for 26 weeks, he dropped to 92nd and currently sits at 65th.
`When you`re in a rut, faking it till you make it is tough in golf,` Spieth admitted.
Data Golf indicates Spieth`s performance pre-2017 rivaled golf legends, but since then, it aligns with solid pros, not superstars.
Whatever the cause, the result is clear: Spieth has been largely average. For someone with his early major wins, average feels like underachievement.
Golf analyst Brandel Chamblee noted Spieth`s strokes gained total is now roughly half of what it was from 2013-2017. `A significant difference from winning majors and setting the world on fire.`
Spieth acknowledges this, aware that occasional wins aren`t fulfilling his 2015 promise. He hasn`t won a PGA Tour event in three years.
`If you`d told me then where I`d be now,` Spieth reflects, `…it`s not what I`d have expected.`
Yet, despite struggles, Masters optimism persists. Each spring, pre-tournament talk and betting odds revive the narrative of Spieth rediscovering his form at Augusta. The Masters remains a unique event for Spieth, an annual chance for believers to hope, unlike with any other player of his current level.
So, as Spieth approaches the first tee at Augusta again, the question arises: Why might this year be different?
Spieth`s voice brightens when discussing Augusta National, revealing a comfortable familiarity. It`s akin to reminiscing about college days – for Spieth, his formative ground is a world-famous golf course. He was just 20 when he first contended there.
`I have a good feeling about the place because I know I don`t need my best game to compete,` he explains. `I`ve birdied every hole out there.`
While technically, he hasn`t birdied the 11th in tournament play, his point is valid. He`s experienced much at Augusta.
There are tough memories: a final-round 75 in 2017, a disastrous opening chip in 2024, and the 2016 meltdown on the 12th. Faldo termed the 2016 experience `disaster and torture.`
Despite these lows, data shows Spieth consistently outperforms expectations at Augusta. His game style suits the course.
The question is, can he still play to that level?
Doubters point to missed cuts in 2022 and 2024. Believers highlight his high finishes in 2021 and 2023. Spieth emphasizes a turning point last season: addressing a wrist injury that had plagued him since 2018 and required surgery last August.
Post-surgery, he rested, then focused on swing fundamentals from his early successes. `Not swing changes, but a reset to my core DNA,` he clarified.
Now, Spieth claims health and confidence. At 31, with Augusta knowledge, he`s ready.
Analyst Justin Ray notes the Masters` unique favor towards long-term participants. Spieth`s Masters history ensures he `will be considered every April until he retires.`
Why not? Fred Couples contended in his 50s and made the cut at 63. Jack Nicklaus finished high at 58. Crenshaw, his mentor, won Masters titles 11 years apart.
Spieth is aware of Crenshaw`s gap and sees it as a reminder of his potential.
Smylie Kaufman, a former pro, encourages Spieth`s `second act,` believing the world awaits his next achievements.
Spieth looks forward to sharing his `first act` stories with his children – the 2015 Masters, that Sunday feeling. But with each Augusta visit, he hopes for even more special moments, moments to savor and remember.
`I remember the bad and the good,` Spieth says. `And I think, how can I make more memories here?`
