It’s only Thursday, but Jordan Spieth provided the patrons with plenty of late-afternoon thrills on Augusta National’s second nine. Spieth, 21, shot 64 in one of the day’s final groups to take the first-round lead. He was one stroke away from matching Augusta National's course record and the low round in a major.
"To make nine birdies out here, that's a dream round for me," Spieth said. "It was a lot of fun."
He has a three-shot lead over Charley Hoffman, Justin Rose, Ernie Els and Jason Day.
Spieth made six birdies in a seven-hole stretch, capped by a scrambling approach that struck the pin at No. 14, to put a record-setting round within reach.
He was 8 under par after making that short birdie putt at the 14th, where he faded his approach shot around a tree from the second cut right of the fairway.
"I had to start it a little left of the green and probably have a five- to 10-yard cut on it," Spieth said. "The hardest part was getting the cut with the wind going right-to-left and the ball above my feet out of the rough."
Spieth’s second shot at the reachable par-5 15th bounded over the green, though, and his chip stopped in the fringe short of the green. He three-putted from there for his lone bogey of the day. He parred the next two holes before closing with a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole.
Spieth made the turn in 4-under 32 after making birdies at Nos. 2, 4, 8 and 9. He made a third consecutive birdie at No. 10 before a par at the difficult, downhill 11th that preceded birdies at Nos. 12-14.
Spieth's 64 is the lowest score in the Masters since Bo Van Pelt shot 64 in the final round in 2012.
Spieth is No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking and No. 2 in the FedExCup after finishing no worse than second in his past three PGA TOUR starts. He was runner-up in last year’s Masters, his debut in the event.
He has shot par or better in all five career rounds in the Masters. He eclipsed one milestone Thursday, though.
"I played well last year, but I never broke 70," he said.
He did Thursday, by a wide margin.