AUGUSTA, Ga. // Jordan Spieth has set a 36-hole scoring record at the Masters.
The Texan, 21, turned in another dazzling round on Friday, going to the weekend with a 14-under 130 total to eclipse the 131 shot by Raymond Floyd in 1976.
Spieth shot a 6-under 66 in the second round, essentially blowing away everyone in the field except Charley Hoffman.
Hoffman was four strokes behind and still on the course, turning in the sort of performance that would normally be good enough for the lead.
Not the way Spieth is playing.
He has 15 birdies and only one bogey through the first two days.
Ernie Els, at 139, was the only player with a single-digit deficit when Spieth finished his round.
Els summed it up best after Spieth opened with an 8-under 64, just one stroke off the major championship scoring record.
“He’s special,” Els said. “Nothing stands out, because he does everything well. He’s going to be tough to beat.”
Another member of the older set turning back the clock is 58-year-old Mark O’Meara, who has not made the Masters cut since 2005 but will be around for the weekend after a 68 on Friday left him at 141 through 36 holes.
As for Tiger Woods, he safely made the cut too, .
But catching Spieth?
That would take a monumental comeback.
The deficit to Spieth could be worse – the American missed a seven-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole then made par to become the fourth player to fire a 130 at any major over the first two rounds. The 130 mark was set by England’s Nick Faldo with a 66-64 start to the 1992 British Open at Muirfield, matched by American Brandt Snedeker in the 2002 British Open at Lytham and equaled last year by Martin Kaymer with back-to-back 65s at the US Open at Pinehurst.
“It’s special to be in the tournament,” he said, “let alone out front.”
Spieth said his biggest obstacle the next two days will be scoreboard watching.
He said he just needs “to keep my head down, just need to set a goal for myself. Obviously Charley’s playing great, and we may be pretty close up there, and who knows what can happen on the weekend here.
“I’m sure they don’t like seeing really low scores so they might speed the greens up tomorrow.”
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