Spieth’s 2016 Masters 12th: How to Reset After a Bad Hole

Jordan Spieth led the 2016 Masters by five shots on the 10th tee, then made a quadruple-bogey 7 on the par-3 12th after two balls found Rae’s Creek. The beginner lesson: after a rough hole, pause, aim at the middle of the green and swing the club you trust.

Even the greats: Sunday at Amen Corner

In April 2016, Jordan Spieth was the defending Masters champion and playing beautifully. He birdied the last four holes of the front nine on Sunday and walked to the 10th tee with a five-shot lead.

Then golf did what golf does. A bogey from the bunker at 10. A tee shot into the trees at 11 and another bogey. He still led by a couple, with the short par-3 12th next, one of the most famous little holes in the world, with Rae’s Creek in front of the green.

His tee shot drifted right, caught the bank and rolled back into the creek. From the drop area, his wedge came up short and found the water again. He got up and down from a back bunker for a quadruple-bogey 7. He had been five ahead on the 10th tee and was three behind on the 13th.

What came next says a lot about him. He birdied 13 and 15 to fight back within reach and finished tied for second. That evening, as defending champion, he helped Danny Willett into the green jacket. Spieth later said, roughly, that after two bogeys he should have remembered he was still leading and played away from trouble. The next year, he won The Open.

Your first-nine lesson: the next shot doesn’t know about the last one

Bad holes come in bunches for everyone, because a rough hole makes the next swing feel urgent. You have permission to slow that moment down:

Pause before the next tee. Take a drink, take a breath, look at the hole like you just arrived.
Aim at the fat part of the green, not the flag. On a par 3 with water, the middle of the green or even the safe side of it is a great target.
Choose the club you trust most. On a short par-3 course, that’s often your 52° or 56°. One easy, familiar swing beats a perfect one you’re forcing.
If a ball gets wet, re-tee with the same calm. Then let the hole be done.

Our how to play a par-3 nine guide walks through picking safe targets hole by hole, and the 52° and 56° wedge distances guide helps you learn the one comfortable distance you can lean on when your nerves get loud.

Spieth’s 2016 Masters 12th: how to reset after a bad hole

Even the greats: Sunday at Amen Corner

Your first-nine lesson: the next shot doesn’t know about the last one

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