Spieth: I could have shot a 59 at the Masters

If Jordan Spieth harboured any ‘demons’ over those famous shots at Augusta’s par three 12th that found a watery grave in 2016, he well and truly laid them to rest with his efforts at this year’s US Masters.

In fact the normally-modest Spieth now admits he could easily have shot 59 around the fabled Augusta National layout in that final round behind Patrick Reed, so well was he hitting the ball that day.

Jordan Spieth

Spieth has since had time to re-watch the final-round coverage just to check if there was anything he needed to learn from that amazing finish.

“I look back on it and I actually thought that I truly could have shot 59 without doing much more other than making a few more putts,” Spieth explained on the eve of last weekend’s Zurich Classic in New Orleans, where he and team-mate Ryan Palmer missed the cut by a shot.

“I put myself in opportunities on each hole to shoot 59 that day, which is really, really cool,” said Spieth.

Of course it is history how Spieth instigated roars all over the course with an amazing finish as he surged from nine shots back going into the final round to eventually tie Reed in the lead.

He went out in 31 and added four more birdies, but his tee shot on 18 clipped a tree, he made a bogey before shooting 64 to finish third.

“Really at Augusta was the best my swing has ever held up under the gun, especially my driving,” said the three-time major champion.

“I wanted to see what that looked like compared to other times.”

Spieth said he developed a good feeling with the last six or seven balls he hit on the range before the final round, and that he noticed on the coverage that he was more stable and patient during his swing.

“In all honesty, I made a couple of putts, but it wasn’t really a hot day with the putter,” he said.

“I just put myself in position to birdie just about every hole.”

“I was working on things throughout the year, thinking I was doing the right things, and I feel like I got the short game back on track in Houston and Augusta.

“And to hit some of those putts under pressure and see some go in, I think that will be very beneficial going forward this year.

“It very well could be a spark for a really solid year.”