Masters Cut Line 2015: Latest Projections After Thursday's Leaderboard Analysis

Jordan Spieth doesn't play golf like a 21-year-old. After finishing in the top two in his previous three starts, Spieth picked up right where he left off during the 2015 Masters' opening round on Thursday, firing an eight-under 64 to take a three-stroke lead at Augusta National Golf Club.

If Spieth keeps up his hot streak and puts more distance between himself and the field, the cut could become quite an interesting storyline. The top 50 and ties make it to the weekend, along with those within 10 shots of the lead.

Several lucky breaks kept Spieth going on a historic pace Thursday, finishing just one shot shy of the major scoring record. His trend of losing shots to the right continued, and Masters pressure always magnifies mistakes over time.

This field is so deep, with numerous collective years of experience. Ernie Els and Justin Rose are just two strokes off the pace and have won majors before, so Spieth has plenty of formidable competition to clear.

Kelly Tilghman of Golf Channel pointed out an interesting anecdote with regard to Spieth and Els:

Els had the utmost praise for Spieth afterward, per Steve Elling of Golf Blotter:

Jason Day had his own phenomenal run on the back nine, carding five consecutive birdies to match Els, Rose and Charley Hoffman with a 67. Day was third at the 2013 Masters and a joint runner-up in 2011, so he's definitely dangerous.

What's most impressive about Spieth is that he seems to have tunnel vision, oblivious to whatever anyone else might be doing.

Golf Channel's Justin Ray has a stat that goes against what should be conventional wisdom—that Spieth is well on his way to winning his maiden major:

Never mind that Tiger Woods is back or that Rory McIlroy is chasing the career Grand Slam. McIlroy posted a decent one-under 71 without his best ball-striking, while Woods had to grind in his return to competition just to post a 73, which to be fair had to be expected.

Kyle Porter of CBS Sports weighed in on McIlroy's start, which wouldn't have been quite as bad if not for Spieth's transcendent score:

ESPN's Skip Bayless had a fitting summary of Woods' return:

If either Woods or McIlroy are ever so slightly off on Friday, they are both in danger of slipping below the cut line. With the ambitious pace Spieth has set, other golfers may be inclined to press for birdies, which can lead to disaster at Augusta, particularly around Amen Corner.

Rickie Fowler has the makings of being the USA's next big, young star, but he's had just one PGA Tour victory to date. Despite showing immense promise in placing in the top five in every 2014 major, Fowler has stumbled out of the gates this year and carded a 73 Thursday.

Other notable names who could be flirting with a premature end to their 2015 Masters bids include current FedEx Cup leader Jimmy Walker, past FedEx Cup champion Henrik Stenson and perpetual major contender Lee Westwood.

All of them are nine shots behind the wunderkind Spieth. Last year's tie for second showed Spieth had a knack for playing Augusta. He did nothing to dismiss that perception in his first round back, and he may well do one better than his 2014 result come Masters Sunday.