
Jordan Spieth’s Masters tournament nearly derailed on the 18th hole. A tee shot into the trees forced a lengthy talk with officials. However, his heroic recovery shot turned a potential disaster into a triumphant par save.
“I was wondering how I could get in there without disrupting anything, and also, like if you’re back in and a leaf falls, but you don’t move and hit the shot,” Spieth told the press after the round.
“I was just making sure I was going to go in the right way and not cause an issue,” the 32-year-old added during the press conference on Thursday.
Once that was clear, Spieth stepped in and focused on getting the ball back in play. He managed to return it to the fairway and complete the hole in four.
“Frankly, I don’t know how many people in the world make a four from that tee ball. So that was — I’m walking off with a smile on my face. I’m happier than you walk off bogeying to shoot 1-under,” added the 2015 Masters champion Spieth.
In his view, the result meant more than the score, as it showed how one hole can change the round. And it also reflected a pattern, with Jordan Spieth and Michael Greller often working through situations like this together.
A week earlier, at the Valero Texas Open, Jordan Spieth and Michael Greller faced another situation that demanded quick decisions.
During the second round at TPC San Antonio, Spieth’s tee shot moved off the fairway, and from there, he had to decide his next step before taking the shot. Speaking later on the Golf Channel, he explained how they approached it step by step.
He and Greller focused on keeping the ball still while clearing the area. Spieth recalled telling him they needed to lift a rock straight up to avoid any movement. With that done, he played a punch shot back into the fairway.
From there, he went with relief from the ant hill under the rules, and as it played out, the sequence took time on the broadcast, with many pointing out that others might have gone another way.
Even then, Jordan Spieth remained focused. He signed for a 1-over 71, keeping him around the cut line. From there, it also continued his run, with five cuts made in a row and finishes inside the top 32 in each of those events.
What did you think of Jordan Spieth’s decision on the 18th, smart play or too risky?
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