Jordan Spieth builds lead with par-5 domination

Few players win the Mas­ters Tournament without success on Augusta National Golf Club’s four par-5 holes.

Leader Jordan Spieth has followed that formula in building a five-shot lead and setting the tournament’s 36-hole scoring record at 14-under-par 130. He has seven birdies and one bogey at Nos. 2, 8, 13 and 15, with four birdies on the holes during a bogey-free 66 in Friday’s second round.

The way Spieth has played the par-5s has been rather unconventional.

Three of his seven birdies have come after finding the trees at No. 13 both days, and hitting into a plugged lie in the right fairway bunker at No. 8. He’s laid up twice from the fairway (at No. 13 in the first round and at No. 15 in the second) but hit two spectacular shots into the eighth green.

The only par-5 where Spieth has avoided drama has been No. 2, where he made short birdie putts after pitching or chipping from off the green.

Spieth’s adventures at Nos. 8 and 13 have been especially highlight-worthy.

On Thursday, he banged a 275-yard second shot to a blind target at No. 8, setting up an easy chip and putt for birdie. Then on Friday came perhaps his shot of the tournament so far: Spieth’s lie in the fairway bunker was so bad that he did well to simply pop the ball out, leaving 228 yards to the hole. Spieth then belted his third shot to within 3 feet of the hole and made the birdie.

“I took a 52-degree wedge and I told (caddie) Michael (Greller), ‘This isn’t going more than 20 yards,’” Spieth said. “I just wanted to get it out. … I didn’t think I was going to make 4. I was really hoping for 5 and stole a shot there.”

Spieth glanced his drive at No. 13 on Thursday off a tree on the right, with the ball landing in the fairway. He had to lay up but pitched to within 2 feet for the birdie. In the second round, he was in the right trees again, punched out, then pitched onto the green to set up an 8-foot birdie putt.

Spieth and Greller engaged in some strategy sessions after hitting both tee shots in the 15th fairway. Grel­ler put a hybrid in Spieth’s hands in the first round, from 228 yards out, which proved to be too much club. Spieth blew it over the green, failed to reach the putting surface with his pitch and took his only bogey of the tournament so far.

“I chose maybe to be too safe there instead of just striking a good 4-iron,” Spieth said.

In the second round, Spieth had 243 yards to the hole but also had more of a wind in his face. This time, Greller talked him into backing off and after the lay up, Spieth hit his third shot to 8 feet and made the putt that would prove to give him the two-round scoring record.

“(Thursday) was a left-to-right wind, maybe a little bit of help,” he said. “I had a good hybrid number but the wind had flipped on 14. It turned 90 degrees and came more straight into us there … if I mishit the hybrid it’s not going to get over (the water). I wanted to get it on the green in two. But Michael talked me out of it and it was the right decision.”

Spieth’s success on the par-5 holes has been an improvement, for at least two days, on his 2015 season. Spieth is 97th on the PGA Tour in par-5 scoring average (4.67), after finishing the 2014 season 32nd (4.63).