The shots that won Spieth the Masters

Post by Golf Journalist, Nick Bonfield

Unfortunately, this year's Masters was a bit of an anticlimax. It wasn't a vintage tournament with several players still in contention on the back nine on Sunday, and while it was absorbing at times, it was never quite enthralling. That, of course, was down to the sheer brilliance of one man, Jordan Spieth - a 21-year-old who showed maturity, ability and humility incongruous with his age. Spieth was the youngest player to make the cut at The Masters, but he acted and played like a seasoned veteran during all four rounds at Augusta National. Whenever it seemed as if there was a glimmer of hope for the chasing pack, Spieth holed yet another eight to 20-footer to re-establish a comfortable lead and swiftly banish any genuine optimism from the likes of Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson.

The natural inclination is to get carried away with such an impressive performance, as many did on social media as the Texan stepped into his first Green Jacket. Comparisons with Tiger Woods - who also won his first Masters at the age of 21 - were rife, and many labeled Spieth's flat-stick display as the best they'd ever seen in one of golf's big four events. Dan Jenkins, a writer for Golf Digest in the USA, summed the situation up in a wonderfully succinct tweet: "I've just been asked if I've ever seen a better putting display. Yes: Tiger Woods, for 10 years."

The comparisons and eulogies, while a little excessive, are simply a mark of how talented this youngster is and how highly he is rated in some quarters. While there's nothing remarkable about his long game, his ability to hole clutch putts, get up-and-down from seemingly impossible positions and, perhaps most importantly, control his mind in the most pressure-filled situations could eventuality lead to him becoming the world's best golfer. He can't compete with Rory in the long-game stakes, which will inhibit his chances on some golf courses, but his short game and mental fortitude are extremely impressive.

Either way, it'll be fascinating to see the rivalry develop over the coming seasons. With the likes of Spieth, McIlroy, Partick Reed and a host of other youngsters coming through the ranks and surging into the world's top 50, the future looks bright indeed. But that's an ongoing topic of discussion. Now, I want to focus on Spieth's spellbinding performance and look at six significant shots and holes that contributed to his maiden major victory.

Hole 18, round 1

Spieth stormed out of the blocks with birdies at 2 and 4 during the first round, and birdied six of seven holes from the 8th to get to eight-under-par for the round after 14 holes. He found water at the par-5 15th, though, and that could have curtailed his momentum and led to further dropped shots. But he parred 16 and 17 and hit a glorious iron shot into the 18th, holing the subsequent 20-foot putt to give himself a three-shot lead heading into round two.

Hole 2, round 2

As is often mentioned, it's so hard to follow up one low round with another one, particularly during a major championship, when there's so much extra scrutiny on your shoulders. Spieth parred the first and found the fairway on the par-5 2nd before hitting a great fairway wood into the throat of the green. Two shots later, he was under par for the round. Had he failed to make birdie there, it could have set the tone for the rest of the day. Instead, he made an easy four and played the next 16 holes in five-under-par without dropping a shot, setting the 36-hole scoring record at Augusta National.

Hole 16, round 3

The 16th hole at Augusta is a birdie opportunity when the pin is situated on the lower level, as it typically is during rounds one and four. When it's front left, just over a treacherous bunker, players normally take their medicine and play for the front of the green. Not Spieth. Coming off a birdie at the par-5 15th, he fired an 8-iron straight at the pin before the inevitable conversion of the eight-foot birdie putt.

Hole 18, round 3

Spieth hadn't endured a double bogey until the 17th hole on Saturday, where he duffed a chip and three-putted from the fringe. He was seven clear after his birdie on 16, but found himself only four ahead of a surging Rose as he stepped onto the 18th tee. After finding the fairway, he sprayed his approach into the galleries on the right hand side of the green, in a near-impossible up-and-down position. From there, he played the most sublime chip off a downslope and holed an eight-foot par putt to walk off with a four-stroke 54-hole lead.

Hole 11, round 4

With Rose some 20 feet away after two good shots into the heart of 11 (admittedly six behind at this point), Spieth was some 50 yards short after hitting his drive into trees. From a tight lie, he played a brilliant spinning chip and run to leave himself a mere tap-in for par when a double looked far more likely after his wayward tee shot. Whenever the door seemed to open even slightly for the chasing pack, Spieth slammed it shut with vigor.

Hole 16, round 4

Despite being six ahead after the 11th hole, Rose had trimmed Spieth's lead to four with back-to-back birdies at 14 and 15. Four shots still seemed like an insurmountable lead on the 16th tee, but not when Rose hit his tee shot to 15 feet and the Texan left himself in Tiger Woods territory over the green. Had Rose made his putt and Spieth made bogey, the lead would have been just two shots with two holes to play. But Rose narrowly missed, and Spieth produced a vintage up-and-down, including a gutsy downhill 10-footer, to keep the four-shot lead intact. Two holes later, he became a Major Champion.

Of all the stats that have emanated from Spieth's record-breaking performance, this one is the most noteworthy to me:

Justin Rose would have won 70 of the previous 78 Masters with a score of -14.

Jordan Spieth, take a bow.

Image credit - Twitter @JWhitakerGolf