Jason Day stays the Australian finest positioned to contend for the inexperienced jacket throughout the weekend as the previous world No.1 and Min Woo Lee have been the one two Australians to make the lower at The Masters.
Cameron Smith crumbled on the again 9 after being well-placed, whereas 2013 champion Adam Scott was unable to get well from a disappointing first spherical and Cam Davis crashed out on an underwhelming day for many of the Australian contingent at Augusta Nationwide.
Day was the shining mild nevertheless, as he sits -4 for the event, 4 photographs behind chief Justin Rose, following a second straight spherical of 70.
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He was even on observe to change into the second ever participant, after Ed Sneed in 1979, to be bogey free after 36 holes at The Masters however a slip up on the final gap ended his probabilities of being etched into the historical past books.
Day was rock stable for 17 holes, making three birdies courtesy of a good looking up-and-down on the par 5 second, sticking his tee shot to seven ft on the par 3 sixth and one other glorious up-and-down on the par 5 eighth.
However it was the par saves that have been arguably extra spectacular.
The 37-year-old, who boasts three high 5 finishes at The Masters, solely hit eight of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens in blustery circumstances, however routinely scrambled to save lots of par.
In a post-round interview with Fox Sports activities’ Paul Gow, Day then make clear how exhausting it was to get distances and features proper on a troublesome Friday afternoon at Augusta Nationwide.
“I believe they did an awesome job of establishing the golf course. You noticed some good scores early on. Because the day progressed it began to get much more gustier,” Day stated.
“After I was trying on the climate this morning (the wind) was 15mph however with gusts of as much as 30-35mph in order that’s the difficult half about taking part in right here at Augusta, you’ve received to hit on the proper time and also you by no means know when that’s as a result of you may’t really feel it.
“You’re down in a few of these valleys and there’s huge tall pines, and you may see the pines transferring, however like on 11 for example, I hit a flush five-iron, pulled up 20 brief. I hit it precisely the place I needed it to go, it simply received smoked by the wind. Hit on the fallacious gust sadly.
“Performed very stable from tee to inexperienced. Sadly bogeyed the final gap. That was my first bogey of the week. I really feel like I’m taking part in some good golf. I simply need to roll some in.”
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The necessity to make extra putts was essentially the most urgent takeaway by Day from his spectacular second spherical effort.
He didn’t three-putt by the opening 36 holes, however on Friday felt like he may have had extra birdie possibilities drop.
He averaged 1.56 putts per gap, 0.07 behind the typical throughout the sphere, and he is aware of taking extra possibilities on the greens will assist him mount a weekend cost.
“I believe I’ve given myself the chance. I simply must gap some. That’s the one lacking piece,” Day advised Gow.
“I’m really hitting loads of good putts. They’re simply not getting in. Attempt to get the beginning line a bit higher. The velocity of the putts is definitely fairly good.
“I really feel like with this wind in the present day, that this could agency up a bit bit tomorrow after which we’ll have a bit faster speeds due to the sunshine, variable winds in order that’s most likely their defence of the golf course and attempt to get some putts to go in.”
Lee was the one different Australian within the crimson numbers with a second spherical 72 preserving him at -1 for the event.
The 26-year-old began the day in wild vogue with a double bogey on the first earlier than responding with birdies on the second and third.
He was pretty stable from then on with birdie at ten and 15 and bogeys at 4 and 18 interrupting his run of pars.
“It’s sort of a bit awkward gap (the primary), I needed to hit a driver up the left aspect and I pulled it straight by the bushes, and I most likely ought to have hit one thing a bit bit decrease by the bushes, however sort of popped up and hit a department. You realize, simply a kind of issues that occurs at Augusta,” Lee advised Gow.
“Often I’d get fairly upset and mad, and shoot a nasty spherical, however I received it again. Made two birdies straight after that and sq. by three holes isn’t horrible.
“You wish to be below par however it’s what it’s, and it simply occurs so fast. I want I may rewind that however it’s only one these issues and tomorrow will probably be higher.”
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Like Day, Lee additionally supplied fascinating perception into how troublesome the again 9 was to navigate on a windy afternoon.
“It was very powerful, particularly that center half. You’re taking part in 10 and 11 and it’s actually windy. 12 is hard. 13 is hard and also you’ve received to hit loads of good photographs,” Lee stated.
“You may’t pretend it round this course, particularly when it’s so windy. It died down a bit bit in the direction of the tip however it was difficult.
“Fairly pleased with the spherical I had. Bogey on the final sort of stings a bit bit however I did hit two great photographs and thought I hit my second shot unbelievable, thought I’d flagged it, and the wind didn’t push it proper in any respect. It was simply a kind of issues, preserve doing the precise factor and preserve making birdies.”
A major change from Lee’s Houston Open win nearly a fortnight in the past was selecting his moments on when to rein in his aggression extra appropriately.
New caddie Brian ‘Bo’ Martin, who was on the bag for Shane Lowry when he received the 2019 Open Championship, has performed a big function in that with it on present once more for Lee’s birdie on the par 5 fifteenth as he laid up as an alternative of clearing the water, and going to the daunting place of the again inexperienced the place Patrick Cantlay chipped within the water twice within the first spherical.
Lee is aware of that selecting when to play sensibly goes to be very important throughout the weekend.
“So cliche however you’ve received to simply hit one shot at a time. Yeah possibly the leaders can come again with the circumstances. I don’t know what the wind is doing but when it picks up, it’s going to be powerful. You over energy it a bit bit and it bites you within the butt,” Lee stated.
“You’ve simply received to consider your self a bit bit. There are clearly instances when you need to be aggressive however I believe you simply be aggressive on the par 5s for those who can, however that may chew you on the butt fast too.
“A lot of planning and processing that must be concerned if you mess around this course, and it is advisable be sure you give your self a number of appears.”
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Smith was certainly one of a number of gamers issued a brutal reminder of how Augusta Nationwide can “chew you on the butt”, as Lee stated.
The 2022 British Open champion collapsed dramatically to overlook the lower with 4 bogeys and a double bogey on the again 9.
He reached the flip at -1 general, however a bogey at 10 was adopted by a double bogey at 11, the place he pulled his method into the water left of the inexperienced.
Smith dropped one other shot at 13 after leaving his method brief and his ball trickling down the slope into the water earlier than failing to get up-and-down to save lots of par at 16 and 17.
He completed with a spherical of 78.
It’s the first time in 9 begins at Augusta Nationwide that Smith is not going to play the weekend, and it’s the second straight main he has packed his baggage early after additionally lacking the lower at Royal Troon in July.
Smith got here tied sixth ultimately 12 months’s Masters however has struggled at majors since coming tied 63rd on the PGA Championship and tied thirty second on the US Open.
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Adam Scott additionally broke a streak of creating the lower on the first main of the 12 months.
The 2013 champion completed outdoors the highest 50 for the first time since 2009 after a good par spherical saved him at +5.
Scott made three birdies however bogeys at 15 and 17 prevented any late cost to make the lower, which stood at +2.
Cam Davis had a day to overlook with a spherical of 79 to complete his event at +9.
It’s the fifth straight lower the two-time PGA Tour winner has missed as he unravelled on the again 9 with a water ball resulting in double bogey on the well-known par 3 twelfth previous 4 bogeys within the closing holes to log off for a 79.
AUSTRALIAN R3 TEE TIMES
2.30am AEST Min Woo Lee, Harris English
3.50am AEST Jason Day, Sungjae Im