Legendary golf correspondent Dan Jenkins wrote that Jordan Spieth ‘might be the perfect Texas pro’. He possessed the ‘focus and will of Hogan, the likeability of Nelson, and the putting stroke of Crenshaw’. In what was two-time Masters Champion Ben Crenshaw’s final tournament, Spieth unleashed his inner Crenshaw by pulling off a putting masterclass to lead the Masters by five strokes.

The 21-year-old American gave another insight into the next generation of golf with fearless approach play and a flawless short game. Spieth may not possess the power of McIlroy or Watson but he has shown in his career thus far that his course management and strategy are second to none. For example, he chose not to go for the par 5s on the back nine in two on Friday, yet still managed to birdie them both. Having already beaten Raymond Floyd’s long-standing 36-hole Augusta record, he will set his sights on Tiger Woods’ immortal 1997 total of 18-under-par, a total that many thought would be impossible to beat given the recent changes to Augusta National.

To put into perspective how well Spieth has played and how far he is ahead, Tiger Woods played quite well in the first two days of the Masters.  He put himself in what would traditionally be seen as a reasonable position for a challenge on ‘Moving Day’, at two under par going into the weekend. If the usual ten-shot rule was in place – the cut of all players more than ten shots off the lead – Tiger would be going home to Florida having missed the cut. Woods, world number one Rory McIlroy and defending champion Bubba Watson are all lying twelve back of the young phenomenon.

While Spieth is as likely to dominate the field and win by six shots or more than to surrender his lead, it is important not to underestimate the impact of nerves as the finish comes closer. That is why Saturday at the Masters is important, Spieth can make Sunday a relative cakewalk with a similar round. However, if there is a pack of three or four players within four shots of the lead going into Sunday, then it will test the young man’s nerve. We have seen, most famously, Rory McIlroy collapse from a four-shot lead in the 2011 Masters. A birdie-eagle start by Charl Schwartzel and a bogey by McIlroy saw his lead immediately vanish on that fateful Sunday. This gave him no respite from his nerves and he went on to shoot 80. It can change so quickly at Augusta which is why it is such an iconic venue.

Should Spieth go backwards on Saturday, there should be no shortage of challengers to his lead. The pick of the bunch is the in-form Dustin Johnson, who pulled off a remarkable record of his own on Friday evening, carding three eagles. With such a propensity for low scoring on the par 5s of Augusta, Johnson has the ability to go low enough to get near Spieth’s current score. Phil Mickelson’s experience at Augusta also makes him a threat. Three-time winner Mickelson currently holds the birdie record at Augusta with twenty-five birdies in 2010 so he certainly has the ability to go low. However, they are seven and eight shots behind Spieth respectively. Hoffman, Spieth’s closest challenger, lacks experience in this position but he may be helped by the fact Spieth’s lead gives him nothing to lose.

It is only half-time in the Masters so it is incredible that the outcome seems so set in stone already. Maybe Spieth will return to earth with a bang on Saturday and lose the magic of the first two days. It would not be without precedent. Golf is the most fickle of sports. But Spieth is fourth in the world rankings, has finished second, first and second in his last three events and was in the final group of the Masters last year. It seems much more likely that the result this weekend will be a formality. And that will be testament to the magnificent talents of Spieth, who has emerged as a genuine contender to McIlroy’s number one ranking.