The Masters 2018: Jordan Spieth highlights from Round 4

Here are the Final Round highlights from Jordan Spieth at the 2018 edition of The Masters from Augusta National.

When the final round of the 2018 Masters began Jordan Spieth was tied for ninth place and nine shots off the leader Patrick Reed. Winner of the 2015 Masters the Texas standout certainly knows what it takes to win at Augusta. As Spieth began his final round he was relaxed and confident playing alongside longtime friend Justin Thomas.

One his first hole Spieth hit his tee shot to 157 yards away from the hole. He would then take an iron into the green and place the ball just seven feet away. With a routine stroke, Spieth buried his putt to open his fourth round with a birdie.

The opening par-5 of the day for Spieth was a friendly one for the former champion. After a 292-yard drive, he had 283 yards left to the green. A picture perfect second shot provided an eagle opportunity but ultimately turned into a birdie at the 2nd.

After two straight pars Spieth stepped up to his fairway shot at the par-4 5th with only the flagstick in mind. From 207 yards out Spieth placed the ball right up next to the cup to gain his third birdie of the day. Gaining confidence he sank the putt to go 3-under over his first five holes of the day and reach 8-under for the tournament.

The first nine holes came to a close for Spieth with back to back birdies. With a major swing in momentum, Spieth found himself only four strokes back of the leader and in contention once again Sunday at the Masters.

Looking to get back on another hot streak late into Sunday at The Masters Spieth hit his tee shot at the par-3 12th just off the backside of the green. While it wasn’t the ideal tee shot it was the best he had seen all week. From the fringe, Spieth stepped up and sent an emphatic putt rolling straight into the bottom of the cup for another birdie.

Within three strokes of Reed’s lead, Spieth put his tee shot in 13 just into the pine straw off the fairway. With a hybrid, he was able to muscle the ball up to the green for a chance at eagle. With his first putt, Spieth didn’t quite have the line but tapped in his birdie to get with two of the lead.

Now just within two shots of Reed and having birdied 15 each of the past three days Spieth stepped up and dialed in his second shot of the par-5 into the green. With a straight-ahead look at eagle just too much was taken off the putting stroke to leave a tester for birdie. Just as he did in the first three rounds Spieth buried home a birdie to move within just one stroke of the lead.

The familiar Masters magic that swirled around his 2015 win began to take shape around Spieth at the 16th hole. With the last par-3 of the day staring him down the opening tee shot landed 33-feet from the hole. As he has done plenty in the past Spieth took the putt relaxed and confident and turned in a momentum-shifting long-range birdie to tie him atop the lead.

Next: Top 10 shots in the history of The Masters

With so much at stake Spieth stepped up to the final tee box one shot off the lead after Reed made birdie at 14. The tee shot clipped a tree branch and dropped short in the fairway. After a strong recovery shot Spieth narrowly missed a par-saving putt to card a bogey and ended with an 8-under 64, one shot off the lead and one shot shy of tying the course record.

Spieth finished in third place with a -13 after making a big charge on Sunday.

He may have come up short down the stretch but undoubtedly Spieth’s play at Augusta is truly something to behold. Beginning the day nine strokes back of the leader he buckled down and orchestrated himself around the course with next level mastery. With already one green jacket in his closet it likely won’t be too long until Spieth adds his second.