AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Jordan Spieth was playing junior golf four years ago. He was playing college golf two years ago, and still would be if he hadn’t left school early. His victory at the John Deere Classic last summer was the first by a teenager on the PGA Tour in 81 years. And now, after shooting a 2-under-par 70 Saturday, he’s co-leading the 78th Masters with faltering 2012 champion Bubba Watson (74).
Watson struggled for most of the day, but after getting a friendly bounce off a tree and into the fairway on 18, he got up and down from the seating area left of the green to join Spieth in Sunday’s final pairing at 5 under. At 20, Spieth would become the youngest champion in the history of the Masters -- even younger than Tiger Woods (21) in 1997.
“I’m 20 and this is the Masters, and this is the tournament I’ve always dreamt about,” said Spieth, who could be seen talking to himself throughout his round Saturday. “And like Mr. [Ben] Crenshaw has always said, it brings out more emotion than ever in somebody.”