Fresh off a victory at the Texas Open last weekend, Jordan Spieth entered Masters week as one of the favorites to win the green jacket. He was 10-1 with the second-best odds behind defending champion Dustin Johnson, according to William Hill Sportsbook.
A tree on No. 9 had other ideas for how Spieth should try to reclaim the fortune he once found at Augusta National.
After driving his drive off the tee straight into the pine straw in the first round, Spieth attempted to recover by fleeing through a tunnel of trees. Instead, his bullet took off with an almost instantaneous thud as it ricocheted off one of the trees and flew 15 yards backwards, as shown in Master Shot Tracking.
Spieth made an incredible recovery just short of the green, but his woes on the 9th were far from over. He got within a few feet before taking a hard look at a bogey putt that fell below the hole. His bogey double putt leaked to the right, and he finally settled with a triple tap-in.
Only four players in Masters history have recorded a seven and gone on to win, the last being Craig Stadler in 1982. Gary Player, Billy Casper and Jack Nicklaus have also recorded a seven in a Masters that they went on to win.
