Masters Round 1 Recap: Spieth flirts with history in opening-round masterclass

Jordan Spieth has wicked sorcery over Augusta National.

The 21-year-old came within a stroke of matching the major championship scoring record with an 8-under 64 in just his fifth official round at the Masters to fashion a three-shot advantage over the field.

He was so dominant, so unconscious, that it was shocking when he revealed himself as human on 15. There, he overshot the green, flubbed his pitch and left two putts short for a resultant bogey that broke up a ridiculous run of six birdies in seven holes. 

It was a minor setback, but had little bearing on his performance down the stretch. Spieth rebounded, drilling a mid-range birdie putt on 18 to tie a bow on his breathtaking round.

Leaderboard

Notables

Jason Day (-5): Aside from Spieth, it was Day who looked most dangerous. The Australian birdied five straight and seven of nine beginning with a stroke gained on the par-5 8th, and came within two of the lead before hitting a speed bump. 

Phil Mickelson (-2): Lefty was making noise early, birdieing two of his first three holes and erasing two bogeys with an eagle roll before getting through his front nine. 

Bubba Waston (-1): Bubba took advantage of the long holes, as he's built to do, but battled throughout most of the round in defense of his green jacket. He struck the ball well, but just wasn't able to score.

Rory McIlroy (-1): It turns out the world No. 1 has his work cut out for him, sitting seven shots back, but he was encouraged before the big scores were posted in the afternoon. His 71 matches his best first-round score at the tournament.  

Shot(s) of the Round

There were a few to choose from, but the two best came with aim at the same stick.

Here's Spieth's ridiculous approach around the tree and off the pin on 14:

And here's Garcia jugging it on 14 from a different angle:

(Courtesy: Masters.com)