Rory McIlroy admits frustration with “annoying” Jordan Spieth

He can hardly be the only one.

After getting a front-row seat to the Jordan Spieth show yesterday, Rory McIlroy gave a brutally honest appraisal what it's like facing the Masters champion. The Irishman began the third round at Augusta just a single stroke behind the defending champion, and despite neither playing particularly well, McIlroy found himself trailing by eight shots before Spieth's late collapse at least left the door ajar heading into today. McIlroy was understandably frustrated, especially given he was striking the ball better than his rival for much of the front nine, only to see Spieth scramble his way further ahead while the world No.3's putter went cold. McIlroy's own game went further south early on the back nine as Spieth continued to hole crucial putts to hold onto the lead, although a bogey-double bogey finish cut that advantage to a single shot over Smylie Kaufman and left him five ahead of European No.1.

"I turned around after 15 and I thought 'how the hell is he [Spieth] two-under-par today?'," McIlroy said.

"But it's his most impressive asset. As much as it could be annoying to his competitors, it's very, very impressive and I think the guys that are out there, that are playing that golf course today, we're the ones that appreciate that the most.

"As much as it does dishearten you seeing those putts lip in, you've got to take your hat off to him because he's such a grinder and such a battler and he always sticks in there."