Spieth: dodged Rae's Creek but took a quadruple on the 15th. Charlie Riedel
Charlie Riedel
JORDAN SPIETH TUMBLED down the Masters leaderboard on day one after taking a nightmare nine on the 15th hole.
Dustin Johnson’s freak back injury, and subsequent withdrawal, saw 2015 champion Spieth start the day as favourite to win a second green jacket.
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But after a menacing start in the tricky Augusta National conditions, the world number six struggled with a bogey and quadruple bogey at 14 and 15 — dropping five shots in two costly holes.
He bounced back with a birdie on the 16th and finished with a three-over-par 75, still only four shots adrift of the early clubhouse leaders.
Thursday’s strong winds and cool temperatures meant that low scores were at a premium with only five of the early starters managing to break par.
Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson, Russell Henley, Kevin Chappell and English duo Matthew Fitzpatrick and Andy Sullivan all carded impressive opening rounds of one-under par 71.
Shane Lowry had four birdies but three bogeys on his front nine to hit the turn on a promising one-under, but a subsequent setback took him to even par, while Rory McIlroy is currently on one-over after a mixed start to proceedings.
Nightmare quadruple-bogey costs Spieth in unpredictable start at the Masters
Updated at 23.23
JORDAN SPIETH TUMBLED down the Masters leaderboard on day one after taking a nightmare nine on the 15th hole.
Dustin Johnson’s freak back injury, and subsequent withdrawal, saw 2015 champion Spieth start the day as favourite to win a second green jacket.
But after a menacing start in the tricky Augusta National conditions, the world number six struggled with a bogey and quadruple bogey at 14 and 15 — dropping five shots in two costly holes.
He bounced back with a birdie on the 16th and finished with a three-over-par 75, still only four shots adrift of the early clubhouse leaders.
Thursday’s strong winds and cool temperatures meant that low scores were at a premium with only five of the early starters managing to break par.
Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson, Russell Henley, Kevin Chappell and English duo Matthew Fitzpatrick and Andy Sullivan all carded impressive opening rounds of one-under par 71.
Shane Lowry had four birdies but three bogeys on his front nine to hit the turn on a promising one-under, but a subsequent setback took him to even par, while Rory McIlroy is currently on one-over after a mixed start to proceedings.
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World number one Johnson pulls out of Masters with back injury minutes before teeing off
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Dustin Johnson JORDAN SPIETH latest Masters 2017 Rory McIlroy Shane Lowry