AUGUSTA, Ga. » If the 10-shot rule were the only part of the equation that determined the cut at this year’s Masters, just 10 other golfers would join 36-hole leader Jordan Spieth for the weekend.
Fortunately for fans of golf’s biggest and brightest major, the top 50 finishers and ties also receive an invitation to Spieth’s likely coronation that would take place Sunday barring a Greg Norman-like finish over the final two rounds.
So dominant has Spieth’s performance been through the opening two days, only Charley Hoffman is within shouting distance. Had Spieth remained in college, he would have graduated from the University of Texas next month.
Instead, he is preparing for another possible graduation of sorts — becoming the second-youngest golfer ever to win the Masters. Tiger Woods still holds that distinction at 21 years, three months. Spieth will turn 22 in July, but is mature beyond those years as he demonstrated with the best opening 36 holes in Masters history. His 14-under 130 broke a nearly 40-year-old mark held by Raymond Floyd.
Ernie Els, who is alone in seventh and a distant nine strokes off the pace, raved about this youngster from Dallas, declaring on Thursday, "You just cannot see this kid not win many, many majors. I think he is by far the most balanced kid I’ve seen. He’s special."
Spieth also has a comfortable five-shot advantage over the surprising Hoffman, best known for his long hair — now shorn. And a seven-shot stretch over Paul Casey, Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson.
Going off in the morning on Friday, Spieth followed up his record-setting 64 (youngest player to lead after the first round) with a stellar 66 that left him within four shots of Woods’ record-setting performance of 18-under 270. ESPN commentator Paul Azinger said before the round began that Spieth would be hard-pressed to match his opening-day score because of the difficult pin placements.
But that hardly seemed a deterrent for Spieth en route to a bogey-free round of six birdies and a dozen pars. His lone bogey in the tournament came at the relatively easy par-5 15th on Thursday when he three-putted from the fringe above the hole. He birdied it from 5 feet on Friday much to the delight of the huge gallery following him.
Two holes away, Woods was busy not only making the cut, but finishing in a tie for 19th at 2-under 142. He was 3 under for his round and continues to show improvement after a disastrous effort at Torrey Pines two months ago forced him to the sidelines.
Masters patrons are still in his corner. After procuring back-to-back birdies at Nos. 7 and 8, Woods walked near the ropes to the ninth tee when a fan said, "You gotta believe, Tiger." Woods looked over at him, broke into a sheepish grin and said, "I hear you, bro."
In the lightness of the moment, Woods’ caddie, Joe LaCava, saw someone he knew at the ninth tee box and broke away from Woods for a moment before giving him his driver. With a big smile breaking across his face, Woods said, "Get your mind back on golf." It brought ripples of laughter from the many followers of Woods, who stayed by his side until the final hole.
Woods, who was seen practicing alone as dusk descended on Augusta National on Thursday night, is finding his game. But he can’t be happy at being a dozen shots back with 36 to play. For Woods, golf is more than just making the cut. He practiced Wednesday with Spieth and Ben Crenshaw on the back nine and believes the youngster has the power and confidence to be the next big thing.
"Just give him time," Woods said.
He certainly has more of it than Woods. When Spieth reaches his 39th birthday — Woods’ current age — Tiger will be 57. Spieth trails him by 14 majors at the moment. If he can hold it together for two more rounds, the first one for Spieth might be only a day away.
