Jordan Spieth just polished off a solid week at the 2026 Masters in which he finished in a tie for 12th. It’s a strong result for a player who hasn’t won since 2022 and is clearly past his prime, but considering his stellar history at Augusta National Golf Club, Spieth’s T12 doesn’t even compare to his win in 2015 or his five other top-five finishes here.
If you ask Spieth, though, his ball-striking in 2026 was the best it’s ever been at the Masters. If he didn’t struggle with the putter, the three-time major champion could’ve easily walked away from Augusta National with his second green jacket.
Jordan Spieth Says 2026 Was the Best Ball-Striking Week of His Masters Career
GettyJordan Spieth is coming off what he described as the best ball-striking week of his Masters career.
Early in his career, Spieth was considered the Masters whisperer. It was hard to deny that Augusta brought out the best in Spieth, as he finished runner-up in his debut in 2014, won the tournament by four strokes in 2015 and finished runner-up again in 2016 after blowing a lead on the back nine. It seemed as if Spieth was destined to hang multiple green jackets in his closet, but he hasn’t won the Masters again despite recording strong finishes nearly every year.
Spieth was the best golfer in the world when he won the Masters in 2015, and his steady ball-striking was a big reason why. That’s why it was so surprising when the Texan claimed he’s never hit the ball so well at Augusta despite finishing seven shots behind Rory McIlroy in the end. He said the putter is what held him back from contending.
“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 had,” Spieth told reporters after his final round, per Cameron Jourdan of Golfweek. “Probably the best I’ve ever hit it here, and I typically putt these greens very well, so that part is a bit frustrating. Putting can be streaky, so just get on the right streak and go try to win next week.”
Spieth Is Trending Toward His First Win in 4 Years
Spieth isn’t entirely wrong about his ball-striking this week. The 32-year-old gained 1.74 true strokes on approach per round at the 2026 Masters, his best mark at Augusta National since Data Golf started tracking SG stats there in 2021. He ranked fifth in the field in strokes gained on approach and eighth in strokes gained from tee to green, per Data Golf. He also hit 55-of-72 greens in regulation (76.3%) this week, a much higher mark than the field average of 63%.
Unfortunately, the 2015 Masters doesn’t have strokes gained data, so there’s no way to compare the two ball-striking performances.
Still, Spieth’s comments after the Masters show he’s confident in his current form and ready to win again. The 13-time PGA Tour winner has four top-12 finishes in his last six starts, and he’s coming off his best tee-to-green performance of the season. Now, he heads to Hilton Head, S.C. for the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links, the site of his last win four years ago.
If the ball-striking stays hot and the putter decides to cooperate, Spieth could be back in the PGA Tour winner’s circle soon.
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