JORDAN SPIETH had another disastrous quadruple bogey at Augusta, in his first round since his meltdown last year allowed Danny Willett to steal the Masters title from him.
But Spieth admitted he felt like he had let five shots slip this time, because his shocker came at the must-bride par five 15th, rather than the par three 12th some 12 months ago.
The 2015 champion, who has finished in the top two in all three Masters appearances, dumped his third shot into the water and almost chunked his second attempt into another watery grave at the back of the green.
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He failed to make the most of that escape, as a duffed chip and a clumsy three-putt saw him run up a nine on one of the easiest holes on the course.
He went on to sign for a three over par 75.
At least Spieth had the consolation of making a par on his return visit to the 12th, earning an ironic cheer when his tee shot finished on the green.
He said: “The way I played 15 was difficult to swallow. You obviously think of it as a birdie hole, being a par five.
“But that’s not the case when you have to lay-up. I should have taken my medicine and aimed 15 feet of the flag and taken my chances from there.
“But I went at the flag from 98 yards with a club that had too much spin on it – and after moving forward ten yards for the next one I hit it it too hard to avoid making the same mistake.
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“It happens, but I came back with a birdie at 16, and that’s what you have to do – keep repairing the damage one step at a time. I’m still in the tournament, and there’s along way to go.
“The way I played 12 was nice. I was surprised at how loud the cheer was when I saw my ball was 35 feet from the flag. But par is always a good score there.”