Jordan Spieth has a inexperienced jacket amongst 5 top-three finishes at Augusta National, tying the legendary Arnold Palmer for essentially the most in historical past amongst gamers via their first 9 Masters.

Embarking on his tenth Masters at simply 29 years previous, Spieth was fast to place some context to these numbers.

“I haven’t had a lot of opportunities on the back nine (of the final round),” he mentioned Monday. “I’ve back-doored some of those top finishes.”

After posting 5 rounds of 67 or higher via his first 5 journeys to Augusta, Spieth has none in his previous 4. That features a lone top-15 -- a tie for third two years in the past when he started the ultimate spherical six photographs off the lead and in the end completed three photographs behind champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan.

That was within the midst of a multi-year course of Spieth went via to “re-engineer” his recreation. He missed the minimize eventually 12 months’s Masters, however gained his following begin on the RBC Heritage to return to the highest 10 on the planet rankings.

Spieth arrived at Augusta this week with excessive expectations, regardless of letting current alternatives to win slip by on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Valspar Championship.

“Tenth appearance now, feels crazy,” he mentioned. “I’d love to get in the mix, because right now I feel better about my game than I’ve felt since probably 2017.

The next few years saw Spieth’s game spiral out of form. He admitted to trying to work his way out of the funk without “knowing what I was really doing.” He ultimately let his “guard down,” and sought recommendation from fellow gamers he trusts alongside along with his interior circle.

“I’ve got the scars to show the hours, but it’s what I want to do,” he mentioned. “Because it’s really, really enjoyable when you start to feel progression and confidence coming back. To me, there’s nothing like it. It’s everything to kind of re-fall in love with the game.

By 2021, Spieth used a win at the Valero Texas Open to springboard his way back among the elite of the game. However, he’s still trying to reclaim that early Masters magic, and enters this week with a career scoring average of 70.7 at the Masters along with eight cuts made.

Spieth isn’t likely to get at least one wish granted this week -- a firmer, faster Masters. With the forecast calling for cooler and damp conditions, he expects to lean into his vaunted short game.

“When you get that many opportunities at a young age, and you feel good about your chances here, I want to win it again,” he mentioned. “That’s the goal.

“I feel good about the form I’m in. I don’t feel like I have all of the weapons right now, but I have enough.”