Masters TV Schedule 2015: Definitive Coverage and Live Stream Guide for Saturday
It's moving day at the 2015 Masters, but does anyone have what it takes to post a low-enough round to close the gap on the surging Jordan Spieth?
The 21-year-old phenom followed up his 64 in Round 1 with a 66 Friday, moving to 14 under for the tournament and setting a new Masters 36-hole record in the process. Spieth's second round may have even been more impressive than his first, as he maintained a blemish-free scorecard during his surgical six-birdie performance.
Heading into the weekend, Spieth holds a five-stroke lead over Charley Hoffman, who is playing very well in his second Masters. A trio of golfers are lurking just behind Hoffman, as Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson and Paul Casey sit at seven under. Three-time green-jacket winner Phil Mickelson is eight strokes off the pace at six under.
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As we anxiously await these players to make a run at the leader, here's a look at the updated leaderboard from Augusta, followed by Saturday's essential viewing information.
Updated Leaderboard
Saturday's Viewing Information
Time: 3-7 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS
Live Stream: Masters.com and CBSSports.com
Friday Recap
For the second consecutive day, Spieth stole the show at Augusta, posting yet another low number and increasing his lead over the field. He didn't allow his first-round lead to test his nerves and settled in to play a precise and patient round.
Four of Spieth's birdies on the day came on Augusta's par fives, as he relied on keeping the ball in play and getting himself into position to make high-percentage birdie putts rather than take unnecessary risks on what can be a very treacherous track. His maturity paid dividends, and he shared his thoughts on the matter during a press conference, via Bill Pennington of The New York Times:
"What I learned last year is that the weekend of a major, those rounds can often seem like two rounds in one day. It's all the kinds of mental stuff that’s running through your head—the overall stress level.
The hardest thing to do is put aside wanting to win so bad, and just kind of let yourself go through the motion—letting the ball-striking and putting happen. I have to be very patient and understand that this weekend is going to feel like a whole other tournament.
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We've seen players run away with the Masters in the past—Tiger Woods' 12-stroke victory in 1997 comes to mind—but we've also seen epic meltdowns like Greg Norman's in 1996. It's still uncertain as to which category Spieth will fall into, but judging by his mature approach to the tournament, it's easy to predict the former.
While Hoffman is the closest player to Spieth in regards to score, his inexperience at Augusta—and the pressure of playing alongside Spieth in Round 3—will surely test his mettle. Still, he's been playing at a very high level through 36 holes, recording a 67 in Round 1 and a 68 Friday.
Hoffman had a blemish-free round going through 17 holes Friday; however, some bad luck on hole. No 18 led to a bogey. We'll see if that hiccup will affect his momentum heading into the weekend.
Johnson was one of the biggest movers on the day, shooting a 67 in Round 2. The biggest reason for his success came from recording three eagles on Friday and setting a new Masters record in the process—no one had previously recorded more than two in a single round.
Although, Johnson certainly didn't play a perfect round by any stretch, as he opened the day with a double bogey on the first hole and also bogeyed holes 10 and 18. He'll need to cut down on his mistakes if he's to continue to climb the leaderboard.
One of the biggest surprises near the top of the leaderboard is the presence of Mickelson. Lefty began the tournament with a two-under 70 and followed that up with a four-under 68 Friday after shooting even par on the front nine and four under on the back. He has plenty of momentum heading into the weekend action.
Three of the biggest names at the Masters all share a 36-hole score of two-under par. Those players are defending champion Bubba Watson, former world No. 1 Tiger Woods and current world No. 1 Rory McIlroy.
Both Watson and McIlroy shot back-to-back 71s to open the tournament. They are 12 strokes off the pace, and Watson's quest to defend his title and McIlroy's attempt to complete the career Grand Slam are beginning to look bleak. Woods fired a three-under 69 Friday after beginning the tournament with a one-over 73. Will we see the Woods of old make a run up the leaderboard over the weekend? Stay tuned.
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