2015 Masters: Biggest Questions Entering Moving Day
Well, two days of the Masters are in the rearview mirror. We thought we'd have a chance to witness history this week, and we certainly have—just not the kind we expected.
Coming into the tournament, all eyes were on world No. 1 Rory McIlroy to see if he could win his third straight major and a career Grand Slam. But he's not out front at this tournament—that position belongs to 21-year-old Jordan Spieth, who is 14 under par after two rounds. Spieth has set a record with the lowest 36-hole score in Masters history.
While Spieth has a five-stroke lead headed into moving day, we know that anything can happen in golf. Here are the biggest questions as the weekend begins at Augusta:
Can Jordan Spieth Continue to Run Away with It?
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Look, make no mistake about it, this tournament is on Spieth's clubs right now. The question is, can he keep it up?
Now, don't be mistaken—going into the final 36 holes of a major with a five-stroke cushion is a place that any player would love to be. But that doesn't mean there aren't potential pitfalls; the pressure on Spieth has only increased—at this point, anything less than a green jacket will be a huge letdown.
Spieth looks mature beyond his years, and there is no discernible weakness to his game. But he is still only 21 years old, and this is only his second Masters. Only time will tell whether Spieth can continue his assault on the leaderboard.
He's not getting ahead of himself, though.
"As far as history and what happened the last couple days, doesn't mean anything, unless I can close it out," Spieth said, as reported by Steve DiMeglio of USA Today. "I don't want to go in as the 36-hole best record but somebody who didn't win."
Will Charley Hoffman Make a Push?
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One of the most surprising names toward the top of the leaderboard is Charley Hoffman, who sits at second place, five shots behind Spieth at nine under par.
As the closest man to the leader, will the 38-year-old be able to make the 21-year-old sweat?
We really have nothing to go on when it comes to Hoffman. He has three PGA Tour wins, his most recent coming in November last year, but he has never been in contention at a major; his best finish is a tie for 27th at his first (and only) Masters back in 2011.
"I'm going to enjoy it," he told reporters on Thursday (via ASAP Sports). "Hopefully I'm there on Sunday."
The rest of the field certainly hopes that Hoffman is able to put some pressure on Spieth.
Is Tiger Woods Going to Keep Playing Well?
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As usual, Tiger Woods was the talk of the town heading into the Masters, but there was even more uncertainty than usual surrounding the 14-time major champion. That's because pretty much every time he's taken the golf course over the past year, it's been painful to watch.
But there have been more Tiger smiles than grimaces this week, which is a big step in the right direction. And most importantly is the fact that he made the cut with ease. It looks like 72 holes of play will actually be completed!
Woods isn't realistically in contention—he sits at two under par, 12 back of Spieth, and considering his limited playing time recently, that is too steep of a mountain to climb. But he can feel good knowing that he's had two solid rounds and even left a few birdies out there.
"Woods has always lamented slow greens, and his inability to adjust to them Friday hurt his score," Bob Harig of ESPN.com wrote. "He could have easily been in the 66 range if he had converted a few makeable chances."
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Will Rory McIlroy Find a Miracle?
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Sorry, Rory, but it looks like this isn't your tournament to run away with.
Unless McIlroy gets a couple of miracle rounds under his belt, and gets some help from Spieth and Co., it looks like his career Grand Slam will have to wait at least one more year.
On Friday, the Northern Irishman found some swagger on the back nine, shooting a 31 to take him to two under par and safely underneath the cut line, so we will have the champion around on this weekend. That means that hope for a green jacket is technically still alive.
"Wish I didn't need to play a back nine like that. I was wasteful on the front nine, missed a couple of short putts," he said on ESPN after his round. "I'm really proud of myself the way I fought back. I'm going to need four more nines like that to have a chance it looks like."
The winner of the last two majors was certainly hoping to have Sunday's result more in his control than it is right now.
Can Another Former Major Champion Put Some Pressure on Spieth?
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While this is currently Spieth's tournament to lose, a host of major champions are on the leaderboard and ready to pounce if the youngster crumbles.
First of all, Justin Rose is sitting at seven under par, tied with two others (Dustin Johnson and Paul Casey) for third place. The 2013 U.S. Open champion has the steadiness to succeed at Augusta, and we know he can handle the weekend nerves.
Behind him, in sixth place, is Phil Mickelson. Lefty had a great round on Friday that shot him all the way up to six under par. We know that Mickelson knows how to win at the Masters—his green jackets from 2004, 2006 and 2010 prove that.
Then sitting there at seventh is none other than the Big Easy. Ernie Els has played horrible golf recently, but he has looked like a four-time major champion on the first 36 holes. He hasn't had a good showing at the Masters since finishing as the runner-up in 2004, but he is currently sitting at five under par.
Then, tied at 12th at three under par are four former Masters champions: Adam Scott, Angel Cabrera, Charl Schwartzel and Mark O'Meara. The leaderboard has some punch after all.
Is a Dark Horse Going to Emerge?
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We know that anything can happen in golf, so it's important to look beyond the obvious names on the leaderboard and talk about some players who could be there to steal the green jacket if the opportunity presents itself. That means they all need to have a great Saturday.
First of all, third-place players Dustin Johnson and Paul Casey both need to set themselves up nicely on Saturday to have a shot at their first major on Sunday. Johnson is certainly one to watch—he has had a great 2015 so far and made three eagles on Friday, a Masters record.
But there are also some names to circle lower on the leaderboard. Patrick Reed can light it up, and he is at two under par.
Another American Ryan Moore shot a 66 on Friday to put himself in a tie for eighth at four under par with a few other wild cards: Kevin Na, Kevin Streelman and Bill Haas.
If there is going to be a big surprise on moving day, look for it to come from this bunch.
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