Is a Breakout Finally Coming for Jordan Spieth? Why His Masters Was Promising

Spieth finished T12 last week, his best finish in a major since 2023, and said it was "the best I ever hit it" in Augusta. His putting, though, has held him back.

Jordan Spieth feels his results aren't indicative of how he's been playing this season. | Michael Madrid-Imagn Images

Jordan Spieth won the Masters 11 years ago. And he feels he could have done it again this year. 

Even though he finished seven strokes back of Rory McIlroy. 

So what was the main reason he didn’t have the green jacket slipped over his shoulders? Putting. 

“I hit it better than the year I won and I hit it way better than any of the second places or fourths that I hit it,” Spieth said after a final-round 68 in Augusta. “Probably the best I ever hit it here and I typically putt these greens very well.

“That part is a bit frustrating. Again, putting can be streaky so just get on the right streak ask go try to win next week.”

On Sunday, Spieth had a hole-out eagle on the par-5 13th and closed the tournament with a 15-foot birdie putt. That yielded a T12 finish, his best finish in a major since 2023 and fourth top 15 of the season, in which he’s made nine starts. 

A decade ago, Spieth dominated Augusta National, with runner-ups in 2014 and ‘16 (though ‘16 was marred by a back-nine collapse), a win in 2015 and a solo third in 2018. In many of those seasons, he was one of the game’s best putters. Then, that started to change. 

However, earlier this year, Spieth was bullish about his progress with the flatstick, working with his coach Cameron McCormick on looking up at the hole on the greens.  And the numbers indicated might have been back. Through the Florida swing, he was gaining .518 strokes putting, ranked 22nd on Tour. 

Crystal for Spieth. A hole-out eagle from the bunker on No. 13. #themasters pic.twitter.com/EBIfnaOIwc

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 12, 2026

But the last two tournaments have been a different story. Especially at the Valero Texas Open leading into the Masters, where Spieth was second-to-last in strokes-gained putting, losing 1.745 strokes. 

“I was on a really good putting stretch from the west coast through the first couple Florida events,” the three-time major champion said, “and then last two weeks probably couple of my worst putting results that I’ve ever had.”

“And the stroke, my stroke felt clean minus a couple of them, better than bad putting times. It just last week I got a little off in the first round and the hole just looked small, and I’ve tried to make it look bigger every day since.”

And it wasn’t much better in Augusta. 

“I’ve been playing the same way that I played today every week,” the 32-year-old said. “I just made three putts outside of six feet today and I didn’t any of the other days.

“So I just started to kind of try to be a little more athletic on the greens. I think I left 20 something putts short this week.” 

Perhaps there’s reason for optimism. The RBC Heritage is this week, the site of Spieth’s last win, four years ago (he also lost to Matt Fitzpatrick in a playoff in 2023). When Spieth claimed the tartan jacket in 2022, he notably said afterward, “I won this golf tournament without a putter. This is one of the worst tournaments I’ve ever putted that I’ve been in contention in.” Spieth ranked 60th in the field that week in putting. 

After the Masters, Spieth entered U.S. Open qualifying, as his exemption for his 2015 victory has expired. However, he’s currently No. 52 in the world ranking, with the top 60 after the PGA Championship earning a spot in the field. 

Spieth might not have won a second green jacket, but a few more good results, with or without a successful week on the greens, might culminate into the victorious moment he’s been yearning for. 

“I feel like I’m playing great golf,” he said. “I don’t feel like my results are showing it. All you got to do when that happens is stay the course. The results end up coming. Sometimes the game takes a while to pay off.”