Jordan Spieth's 2016 Masters Nightmare Revisited

History was about to repeat itself. Stood on the 10th tee, Jordan Spieth had a five-shot lead at the Masters. His imperious putting touch was rendering the 2016 Green Jacket shoot-out something of an anti-climax. Four birdies in a row at the end of the front nine had turned this into a procession. Done deal - right?

But there’s a reason Augusta stirs the emotions of golfers all over the world. Danger lurks at every corner and yet, what we were about to watch was a Masters horror show like few we’ve seen before. Don't forget, Spieth was the defending champion, and it had looked as if this little slice of Georgia was made for him only.

Jordan Spieth 2016 Masters — Spieth reacting to chunking his third shot from the drop zone into the water on Augusta's par-3 12th

If the first attempt at reaching the 12th green was poor, the second was shocking. Let's not dress this up - it was a duff, plain and simple. This was one of the best players in the world left to look hopeless.

Within five minutes, Spieth had etched his name into the history books yet again at Augusta, but it wasn’t the way he wanted. That it should happen to the one man who seemed completely oblivious to the mental stresses of this uniquely beautiful but menacing layout, made it even more jaw-dropping.

What this proved more than anything else is that golf, and in particular the Masters, is perhaps the purest of all sporting tests. Not many sports balance the demands of skill and pressure so neatly. Nobody is immune to the emotions that can render a golfer helpless. Not even Jordan Spieth.

The Texan has contended here since his infamous collapse, and may very well capture another Green Jacket, but the events of 2016 hurt, make no mistake about that. His post-round interviews were conducted in a state of numbness.

The question now is - will he ever regain a positive outlook when he stands on the 12th tee? It was excruciating to watch, but ultimately, it's moments like these that make golf so enthralling.

As he returned in 2017, you could sense the internal struggle. That he dunked his ball in the water again on Sunday was a sign the demons were still there, lurking. It could be a story with yet more chapters to come.

Even in 2018, the Texan was well in contention, probably needing a birdie down 18 to win or reach a play-off, which would have yielded Augusta's first 62. However, a poor drive led to an untidy bogey after a missed short putt, a sign of the mental fragility that seemed to haunt him throughout a prolonged barren spell following an epic Open Championship triumph in 2017.

Jordan Spieth 2018 Masters — Spieth missed a short par putt on the 18th during the final round of the 2018 Masters for the tournament's first 62

We're now nearly six years removed from Spieth's Masters horror show that allowed Danny Willett to swoop in and capture a maiden major victory. And looking at the evidence, perhaps it has taken something out of him at Augusta, similar to Rory McIlroy and the 2011 tournament. The only difference - Spieth already has a Green Jacket.

TOPICS

In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he went on to become a feature writer interviewing many of the biggest names in the game including Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Rory McIlroy and Arnold Palmer.

A 5-handicap golfer, Neil is a club member who takes a keen interest in the health of the game at grassroots level. You’ll often now find him writing about club-related issues such as WHS, membership retention and how best to bridge the gap between the range and the course.