Jordan Spieth tightened his grip on the 79th Masters in Friday's second round at Augusta National, approaching historic major scoring totals and evoking memories of Tiger Woods' record-setting 1997 romp. The 21-year-old American was five under for the day and on 13-under par overall through 13 holes after going one-under on the tricky Amen Corner stretch.
Spieth owned a six-stroke lead over unheralded countryman Charley Hoffman with four-time major winner Ernie Els third overall and in the clubhouse lead at five-under 139 after a 72 on Friday.
Spieth, seeking his first major title after a runner-up Masters debut last year, opened with a 64 Thursday to become the youngest first-round leader in Masters history, only one stroke off the record low round in the Masters or any major.
Fourth-ranked Spieth was set to match the Masters' 36-hole record low of 13-under 131 set by Ray Floyd in 1976 and a threat to equal or break the low 36-hole total in major history of 130.
The 130 mark was set by England's Nick Faldo with a 66-64 start to the 1992 British Open at Muirfield, matched by American Brandt Snedeker in the 2002 British Open at Lytham and equalled last year by Martin Kaymer with back-to-back 65s at the US Open at Pinehurst.
Spieth was also looking at the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history, the record of five strokes shared by Floyd in 1976, Jack Nicklaus in 1975 and Herman Keiser in 1946.
The Texan also was looking like a threat to become the first wire-to-wire Masters winner since Floyd in 1976. Only Floyd, Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Craig Wood have led every round alone to win.
The manner in which the flamboyant, fist-pumping Spieth was solving Augusta National looked in many ways like Woods when he won his first major title at the 1997 Masters, surging ahead by a record nine strokes after 54 holes to eventually win by 12.
While 14-time major winner Woods, who has sunk to 111th in the world rankings, was finding modest success in his comeback after a two-month layoff to work on his game, Spieth was dominating as 39-year-old Woods did in younger days.
Woods would remain the youngest Masters champion from 1997 by about five months even if Spieth wins this year.
Spieth pitched from 50 feet to inches from the cup to set up a birdie at the par-5 second, sank an 18-foot birdie putt at the fifth and birdied the par-5 eighth after finding a fairway bunker off the tee, blasting out and landing his approach three feet from the pin.
Spieth made an 18-foot birdie putt at 10 and sank an eight-footer at the par-5 13th after putting his tee shot well right behind a tree and laying up before pitching over Rae's Creek.
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