Masters Leaderboard 2015: Updates on Golf's Top Scorers on Saturday
Golfers in the 2015 Masters field will either lose or gain hope with each passing hole on Saturday's moving day, and it will all be dependent on the play of Jordan Spieth.
Spieth set the standard throughout the opening two rounds of play, setting a 36-hole course record with rounds of 64 and 66. But his fellow contenders have brought it as well. He only maintained a five-stroke lead entering Saturday, which is pretty small when his insane score is put in perspective.
Still, the list of names capable of catching Spieth is small, and any of them will need some help from the 21-year-old to creep into contention. Let's take a look at the updated leaderboard.
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2015 Masters Leaderboard
Golfers to Watch
Jordan Spieth (-14): 2:55 p.m. ET
Jordan Spieth realistically will only need to keep it around par over the next two days to win his first major. But what's to say he won't just continue the ridiculous pace he's on right now?
Look at his recent play, and you'll struggle to find reasons why he'll be slowing down. This sort of play isn't new for him—his last three finishes before the Masters were second, second and first, and he just went out and broke records throughout his first two rounds at Augusta. Oh, and keep in mind this is his second Masters.
From one Masters great to a potential future one, the adulation of Spieth's game is far-reaching, per Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman:
"Strong imagination, competitive fire, great putter. Those are just a few words Ben Crenshaw uses to describe 21 yr old Jordan Spieth.
— Kelly Tilghman (@KellyTilghmanGC) April 11, 2015"
Nobody has ever won a green jacket after 36 holes, and a somewhat slim five-stroke lead—given the circumstances—suggests there is still plenty of golf left to be played. But it's hard to ignore the fact that nobody has ever held a five-shot lead at Augusta through two and failed to win.
Spieth may be just 21, but his golf game is at veteran levels. Whether it's his ability to attack every shot with precision, a knowledge of the course that suggests he's played it for decades or a cool head under pressure, he doesn't resemble a golfer likely to give up a lead with the biggest win of his career on the line.
Dustin Johnson (-7): 2:45 p.m. ET
Dustin Johnson has been crushing the ball, but he'll need to crush it a bit harder to slip into contention for Sunday.
Despite playing two of his best career rounds at Augusta, Johnson enters Saturday with seven strokes separating him from Spieth. It's certainly not for a lack of driving distance, as European Tour noted the disparity between him and the field:
Johnson made history for his big-swinging troubles Friday, and not for distance; he became the first person to ever card three eagles in a single round at Augusta. He went seven under on par fives in total Friday, which is ridiculous considering there are only four of them.
To be frank, Johnson will have to pretty much go and do it again if Spieth is to keep his score under par on moving day. But after following up an opening-round 70 with a 67 Friday, perhaps Johnson can continue lowering that score and do something to make Spieth sweat.
Phil Mickelson (-6): 2:35 p.m. ET
If nothing else, Phil Mickelson's presence near the top of the leaderboard should make for somewhat of a dramatic moving day.
While it may be impossible for anyone to catch Spieth, it would be foolish to count out Mickelson given his affinity for bringing it on Masters Saturday. He's carded a round below 70 on moving day at Augusta seven times in his career, making him a regular in the final pairing come Sunday.
It's going to take a magnificent round for anyone to pump some life into Augusta and take the spotlight off Spieth, but perhaps Mickelson is the one to do it, per Golf Digest:
For all of Mickelson's inconsistency on the golf course, he only carded one bogey for his second round Friday after three for his first round. If he can do that while adding a handful of birdies and a shot-in-the-dark eagle, he could be right back in it.
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