AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Getting to double digits under par took Jordan Spieth all of 23 holes at the 2015 Masters, as he broke the tournament's 36-hole scoring record Friday.
So how did he reach the halfway mark of the year's first major at 14 under par with a 5-shot lead?
He employed the Tiger method (and, no, we're not talking about Woods' putter).
When Woods won his four green jackets, he owned the par-5s, just like Spieth has so far this week. During Woods' historic 12-shot win in 1997, the 14-time major winner was 13 under on Augusta National Golf Club's longest holes.
Through 36 holes, the 21-year-old Spieth has played eight par-5s so far in a combined 6 under, and that's with his lone bogey of the week coming at the par-5 15th in Round 1.
In Woods' other Masters victories, he was 9 under (2001), 7 under (2002) and 6 under (2005) on the par-5s. If Spieth can keep up this pace, and that's a tall order playing in just his second Masters, we could be seeing more record numbers for the Texan, who also tied the 36-hole scoring mark in any major in relation to par.
Recent conventional wisdom tell us that only the big hitters win here, with the likes of Bubba Watson, Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson, Angel Cabrera and Woods slipping on eight of the past 11 green jackets.
Spieth isn't considered a bomber or a bunter, but at nearly 294 yards per average drive so far this year on the PGA Tour, he ranks 55th. In 2014, he finished 89th in the category.
So how has he been able to compensate for that lack of distance, compared to the big hitters? He has been able to take what the course gives him, which is far easier said than done. When his tee ball at the par-5 13th hole on Friday left him stymied with a tree directly between himself and the flagstick, Spieth played the safe recovery shot out to the right of Rae's Creek. His up-and-down from there resulted in a birdie that got him to 13 under par for the tournament.
Another stat in Spieth's favor: the number 12. Being more than a dozen under at the midpoint of a major almost always means victory, unless you're Greg Norman. That's because the eight times a golfer got to 12 under through 36 holes, every one of those golfers not named Norman produced a major title.
That bodes well for the young Spieth, as long as he keeps emulating the Tiger and not the Shark.