AUGUSTA, Ga. -- It doesn't sound like a lot. Jordan Spieth is 18 holes from history. But they're going to be the most difficult 18 holes of his life. On a day when the smokeshow will start early and be out in front of Spieth all day, he'll have to fight his way to his second straight Masters win.
Only Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo have ever repeated here, and Spieth showed a crack in his seemingly impenetrable foundation late in his third round on Saturday. Boy Wonder finished with a bogey and a double in his final two holes of the third round.
But he still leads. He leads historically. He's led the Masters for seven straight rounds and led or co-led for eight of the last nine. It's that next one, though, the one this Sunday that will be the toughest.
No golfer has ever held two green jackets at the age of 22. Spieth would be the youngest ever by far. Jack Nicklaus was 25. Tiger Woods was also 25. Spieth will be 23 later this summer. He would join a group of 17 men who have multiple green jackets. His average finish at Augusta would go from 1.5 to 1.33.
Do I need to go on?
This one is going to be tougher than last year's though. Last year, Spieth knew he could play defense and it would take a historic round from somebody on Sunday to overtake him. This year, there are 12 golfers within five of the lead with the pins set up to be destroyed.
"We just answered every statement made on the golf course last year on Sunday," said Spieth, who was disheartened at dropping three strokes over the last two holes on Saturday. "I can't rely on the putter the way I did today. I've got to strike the ball better. That's what leaves me a little uneasy compared to last year. I was at a four-shot lead and we were 16 under."
No such margin for error this year which is why another green jacket would be the greatest win he's ever had. People dismiss the mental difficulty of sitting on the Masters lead (which Spieth has had for two straight years). It wears and wears on even the strongest minds like Spieth.
So he'll shoot for history on Sunday, but this year Spieth is not the only golfer who can take down Spieth in the final round on Sunday. Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama will all take aim.
Rewind to Saturday briefly, though.
On Saturday, Spieth turned the front nine with a big lead. He walked far ahead of Rory McIlroy with all of CBS's walking cameramen trained on his eyes. He didn't look around. He didn't look side to side. He stared straight ahead while everybody else stared at him.
Spieth was asked on Saturday night how important his place in history is to him.
"I'm not sure yet," he said.
Maybe he'll be able to tell you more on Sunday evening.
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