Masters 2017: Jordan Spieth overcomes 15th-hole nightmare in the most Jordan Spieth way ever

Jordan Spieth will likely never play the 12th or 15th holes at Augusta without TV broadcasters playing and replaying the quadruple-bogeys he posted on those holes in 2016 and 2017, respectively. No sweat for the 2015 Masters winner, who made par on 12 in Saturday’s third round after missing way left with his tee shot, but absolutely blistered the 15th with the shot of the day from 100 yards out.

When Phil Mickelson got off to a birdie-birdie start to Spieth’s two pars in Saturday’s third round of the Masters, it looked as if the 46-year-old was going to make a serious move on moving day at Augusta National.

Unfortunately for the guy attempting to tie Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer with four Masters wins, Lefty did indeed make a huge move — downward — while his young playing partner took off up the leaderboard. Indeed, as Mickelson was posting a double bogey-6 on No. 3 and three bogeys on holes 6, 8, and 9, Spieth was going on a birdie run on those same holes to pull away from Phil and, at 3-under at the time, into contention for his second green jacket.

By the end of the day, Spieth, with a 4-under 68, had played himself into a tie for 4th — just two shots back of co-leaders Justin Rose (with the day’s low-round 67 to get to 6-under) and Sergio Garcia (70) — while Mickelson will likely have to wait ’til next year to overtake Jack Nicklaus to become the oldest Masters winner. But, really, the round was all about Jordan, with Phil, ending the day at 74 and at T21, riding shotgun.

Spieth, who started the day tied for 41st and 10 strokes behind frontrunner Charlie Hoffman, began Saturday’s run on the par-3 6th when he drilled a birdie putt from downtown.

“I got a nice read off of Phil’s putt here,” Spieth told CBS’s Dottie Pepper after his round. “Certainly saved one there; I wasn’t necessarily expecting that.”

There was the tap-in birdie at 8, the stuffed approach shot and another tap-in for birdie at No. 9, and a “nice little pitch” on 10 after missing long and left.

Spieth followed another long, left tee shot on the par-3 12th (after the obligatory CBS video of last year’s disaster) with a “really difficult up and down” that resulted in “a nice par save.”

Spieth went all Phil Mickelson circa 2010 with a nifty shot to the green off the pine straw on 13 and settled for par after his eagle putt slipped just left of the cup.

But that wedge on 15, where he made quadruple-bogey on Thursday, was really the apex of a day filled with candidates for the highlight reel.

“I made a nine earlier in the week on this hole with the same wedge, same number, and I just decided to correct it and fortunately it drifted down there to tap-in range,” Spieth said. “Disaster avoided today.”

To say the least.

So what is Spieth’s strategy for Sunday’s finale? More of the same, he hopes.

“Something like today’s round,” Spieth said, “and then maybe finish it off a little bit better and it might be enough.”