Jordan Spieth fires a 66, races out to yet another lead at The Masters

Jordan Spieth picked up right where he left off at the Masters. A year after racing past the field to win his first green jacket, Spieth is back in the lead at Augusta National after posting a 6-under round of 66 to open the tournament.

Spieth was fully in the form that allowed him to win a pair of majors and rise to No. 1 in the world last year. He drove the ball well enough, striped a few approach shots into tight pins and was nails with the putter. The last trait was the key to the round as Spieth mastered the very tricky Augusta National greens in a way few players can. He grinded over a few putts, but rolled in putt after putt. That was especially big on a few lengthy par attempts. Spieth was dynamic from 15-25 feet last year and that strength was on display again. He knew it too, fist pumping after one tough par save and even kissing his putter after another.

Going low at Augusta National is nothing new for Spieth. He’s now 29-under in his career at Augusta National, according to Justin Ray of Golf Channel. Incredibly, that’s in just nine rounds. For whatever reason, the course just seems to suit him, regardless of the conditions. Wind was a factor on Thursday and only figures to become more of an issue. Many didn’t expect scoring to go low as a result, but there is Spieth at 6-under, three strokes clear of the field. If the wind picks up even more, it’s going to be a real challenge for the rest of the field to match that score.

It’s only the first round and there is a ton of golf left for Spieth and the rest of the field to play. But the start he got off to was significant. He went wire-to-wire at the Masters last year and once again finds himself ahead of the field. It’s a place not many players his age have ever been and possibly the start of some more history.

Spieth may be in the lead, but the field isn’t collapsing around him. Several top players are also under par and in pursuit. Whether they can stay there as the wind increases remains the question. Here is a snapshot of the current leaderboard at the end of Spieth’s round.