When he came to No. 12 on Tuesday — the chalk outline of the 2016 quadruple catastrophe had long washed away — Jordan Spieth sent his tee shot through a dicey wind and some gallery apprehension to within two feet of the cup.
With that, he said, “I turned to the crowd and said, ‘I really could have used that one about 12 months ago,’ to some significant laughter.”
Among his demonstrated talents at the Masters, Spieth has shown an innate capability for managing to say the right thing. So when the topic turned again to how last year’s indelible tournament got away from him — Will the pathologist ever finish? — Spieth addressed the therapeutic gain of grinding and regrinding the worst few moments of his remarkable young career for the public’s benefit.
After his quadruple-bogey 7 at the 12th opened a way last April for Danny Willett to come from three shots back on Sunday to win by three, Spieth admitted, “Honestly, I think it will be tough to put it behind.”
On a Tuesday a year later, he explained how he has tried: Move on.
“I have to hold back here because of how things can be (blown out of proportion), and that’s no offense to you guys whatsoever,” he said. “It’s just strictly in the nature of what I think is appropriate in moving on and lifting up when you’re on a low, staying up when you’re high, and that’s what you’re looking for in those therapeutic experiences.”
So he sounds OK.
There is folly in reconsidering the prospects for a 23-year-old with nine PGA Tour wins, a couple of majors and finishes of 2-1-2 in his first three Masters. But Augusta National has left scars on generations of players — Weiskopf, Norman, De Vicenzo, Venturi, Hoch, McIroy, Hogan — who came up short.
How many of them showed up the following year to count the ways they loved the place?
“It’s imaginative golf,” Spieth said of Augusta National. “It’s ‘feel’ golf, and I really enjoy that, when I can go away from technicality and towards feel. It’s an advantage for me personally, compared to how I play other places.
“I really love the tournament. It’s pure golf.”
For what it’s worth, he enters the week having missed the cut in Houston last week, but made some lemonade out of the weekend by playing Augusta National with his father, Shawn — “a pretty incredible experience.” He also is hopeful to get his brother, Steven, to hit a shot at the Par-3 Contest on Wednesday, now that his basketball career at Brown is finished and he can spend a week here.
“Steven is left-handed, so I think we’ll pick up a wedge in the little bag,” Spieth said. “I’m not sure. This is up to the green jackets here, if you’re allowed to (hit a ball). But honestly, my brother will probably take it anyway.”
But there, the levity ends. While conventional wisdom at the Masters is not to force the issue but take only what the course gives you, Spieth expressed his eagerness to siege the place. In his 12 competitive rounds at the Masters, Spieth is an aggregate 25 under par. It should not be forgotten that in 2015, he became the first player to ever reach minus-19 before settling for victory at minus-18, tying Tiger Woods’ scoring record.
Forecasts for blustery conditions may prevent such numbers, though Spieth didn’t sound like he cared.
“I’m excited for the opportunity ahead, which is now I can go back and really tear this golf course up,” he said. “I’ve got the opportunity now for the next — as many years until the day I get a letter saying, ‘We would appreciate if you sat this one out’ — I’ve got that many more opportunities on the back nine at Augusta, which we’ve had in the past, on Sunday.
“And if it happens this year, fantastic. I will do all I can to see all the positives and to grind it out like we did in 2015. And if it doesn’t happen this year, then I’ll be ready the next year to do it.”
So maybe he has “put it behind?”
“I seem to have more fun each year when I play this golf course.”
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