What happened to Jordan Spieth at the 2016 Masters?

Jordan Spieth is one of the top names with three-time Major wins. Spieth surprised many by winning the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2013 as a youngster. He followed it up in 2015, bagging the PGA Tour Player of the Year title in 2015. He instantly became one of the most celebrated American golfers of the decade.

Spieth came into the 2016 Masters with high expectations. The pro golfer had the world rooting for his win. However, Spieth crumbled under pressure and made the majors unforgettable due to his infamous meltdown. Spieth, much like Greg Norman's infamous collapse in 1996, made headlines at the 2016 Masters despite losing it.

History was set to repeat as Spieth stood on the 10th tee with a five-shot lead at the Masters. However, the ace golfer pulled one of the biggest anti-climaxes in the tournament's history. Putting up a Masters horror show like few we've seen before, the defending champion fell hard.

2016 Masters- Final Round (Image via Getty)

Bogeys at 10 and 11 opened the door. Spieth pushed his tee shot to 12, and fans were at the edge of their seats. The first attempt at reaching the 12th green failed, and the second attempt shocked the viewers. One of the best players in the world struggled with a plain shot, and within minutes, Spieth crumbled under pressure at Augusta. He plummeted miserably from the lead. Fans were panicking to see Jordan Spieth, one of the game's most "chilled and calm" personalities, fall due to mental stress.

At the end of the horror show, Danny Willett walked away with the green jacket. A highly emotional Jordan Spieth placed it on the Englishman's shoulders. Spieth's actions proved that nobody is immune to emotions. Subsequently, the then-reigning champion suffered a meltdown on the course. The 2016 Masters was infamously tagged as the event where Jordan Spieth broke down.

It is pertinent to note that Spieth returned the following year and captured another Green Jacket. However, the Texan did not seem to move on from the events of 2016. Spieth repeated some errors in 2018 when a poor drive led to an untidy bogey after a missed short putt. Almost seven years past the 2016 Masters, Spieth's poor showing that allowed Danny Willett to emerge victorious remains a major talking point.

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Jordan Spieth's astounding start to pro-golfing

Jordan Spieth was one of the top golfers in 2015. By then, he had accomplished something that Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Rory McIlroy could not. Spieth won his first PGA Tour event at the age of 19. The golfer was looked upon as a teenage prodigy as he holed a bunker shot on the final hole of regulation at the 2013 John Deere Classic.

Spieth won his first event two weeks ahead of his 20th birthday. He became the youngest player to win on the PGA Tour in its 82 years. His win came after Ralph Guldahl's 1931 Santa Monica win. Spieth went on to take second place at the 2013 Puerto Rico Open, further improving his value.

The Texan won his maiden Major at The Masters in 2015, equaling Tiger Woods' 270 total in 1997. Spieth was already a superstar and was being lauded as the best young player to emerge after Tiger Woods.