Augusta National has been no match for the 21-year-old who many hail as the next great American golfer.
Jordan Spieth set a new 36-hole Masters scoring record Friday when he added a second-round 6-under 66 to his opening 64 and cruised to a comfortable lead over his nearest competitor.
Spieth coasted past Raymond Floyd, who set the previous two-round mark of 13-under 131 in 1976. A birdie putt on the 18th green burned the edge, but his prior work was enough cushion to get to 14-under for the tournament.
Remember when Rory McIlroy was favored to bend Augusta National to his will and complete the career grand slam. Thanks to Spieth, that’s just so two days ago. How about that quaint notion that, until Thursday still held some currency, that Rory was the next Tiger?
Well, move over, there’s a new contender to the throne and the 21-year-old Texan who’s playing in only his second Masters is shattering the type of marks Rory set back in 2011. That’s when McIlroy routed the field to the tune of a record-smashing 8-shot U.S. Open win for his first major title.
Indeed, Spieth’s scorched earth playing, which includes 15 birdies and one lone bogey -- reminds many observers of Tiger Woods in 1997, when the then-PGA Tour sophomore kicked the field’s butt to the tune of 17-under.
"He keeps raising our expectations ... and he exceeds our expectations," Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee said on Friday after Spieth became the fastest Masters contestant ever to get to 12-under through 28 holes. "This is so uncommon."
Maybe uncommon for a major championship, but Spieth pretty much telegraphed that he was the guy to beat this week after warming up with a win and two second-place finishes in his last three events.
Spieth entered Friday’s second round with a three-shot lead and as the youngest 18-hole leader in Masters history. He quickly put more space between himself and the B flight, with three birdies on his outgoing nine holes.
With McIlroy part of the afternoon wave, Tiger Woods making a mini-charge to get to 2-under through 15, and Charley Hoffman in second by four strokes as Spieth left the course, there were still plenty of holes left to play. But the leader of next generation in American golf, who would be a senior in college had he not dropped out to turn professional, is threatening to make the 2015 Masters a runaway.
He's got the 36 hole mark. Now we turn to the weekend with an eye toward the 18-under 270 overall mark.
Remind you of anyone?
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