Back in its normal spot on the golf calendar, the 2021 edition of The Masters is upon us and while Jordan Spieth may not be the favorite heading into Augusta National, he’s certainly put himself right in the thick of the conversation with his recent play.

Spieth, who won The Masters in 2015, has been on an absolute tear over the past two months and picked up his first victory in nearly four years on Sunday at the Valero Texas Open, leaving many to believe that he has a real shot to pick up his second green jacket this week. But did the 12-time PGA Tour winner actually jinx himself ahead of the year’s first major championship?

Jordan Spieth has been playing fantastic golf the last two months

Heading into the Waste Management Phoenix Open back in early February, Jordan Spieth was experiencing arguably the worst slump of his young career. In the 16 tournaments in which he’d played after the PGA Tour season resumed last June following the three-month layoff due to COVID-19, Spieth had missed the cut six times and finished inside the top 30 just twice in the 10 events in which he played 72 holes.

But something clicked in Phoenix as he tied for fourth, his first top-five finish since the 2019 PGA Championship, and he followed it up with a T-3 finish at Pebble Beach the following week. Spieth then tied for 15th at The Genesis and carded another top-five at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, tying for fourth. He had a disappointing week at The Players Championship, tying for 48th, but he bounced back and tied for ninth at the WGC-Match Play event.

Wanting one more tune-up before The Masters, Spieth decided to tee it up at the Valero Texas Open and got back in the winner’s circle for the first time in nearly four years.

Jordan Spieth picked up his first win in nearly four years at the Valero Texas Open

As mentioned, it’s been nearly four years since Jordan Spieth last won a golf tournament as his last victory came at The Open Championship in 2017 at Royal Birkdale.

But all the improvements we’ve seen over these last two months finally resulted in a victory as Spieth took the title at the Valero Texas Open, his first victory in 82 starts. The former No. 1 player in the world looked that part over the last four days as he shot 67-70-67-66 at TPC San Antonio to finish at 18-under, two shots better than Charley Hoffman, who recovered nicely from a first-round 75 to finish at 16-under.

The win moved Jordan Spieth to No. 38 in the Official World Golf Ranking, the first time he’s been in the top 50 in more than a year. But did the now-12-time PGA Tour winner jinx himself at The Masters?

Only two players have won The Masters after winning on the PGA Tour the previous week

With his win in San Antonio, Jordan Spieth heads to Augusta National as one of the favorites to win the 2021 edition of The Masters. However, he may have actually jinxed himself heading into the year’s first major.

Since The Masters was first played in 1934, only two players have won The Masters after winning a tournament the previous week, the first being Sandy Lyle in 1988. Lyle won the KMart Greater Greensboro Open the week before Augusta and then won his second major championship in dramatic fashion as he edged out Mark Calcavecchia by one shot, making birdie on the 72nd hole following an incredible fairway bunker shot.

The second to do it was Phil Mickelson, who in 2006 won the Bellsouth Classic at TPC Sugarloaf the week before winning his second green jacket.