Day and night for Australia’s hopes at the British Open
Jason Day has been left flying the flag for Australian men’s golf after an otherwise wretched day on the Royal Troon links ended with the rest of the gold-and-green challenge at the British Open being blown away.
Both Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott, world top-40 players, suffered in the gusty afternoon conditions on Friday as their promising overnight positions evaporated, while Cameron Smith was left reflecting on his two most woeful Open days just a couple of years since he lifted the Claret Jug.
Yet as only Scott, among the six-strong Aussie contingent, was able to join Day in making the cut for the weekend, the substantial consolation was that last year’s runner-up played himself into contention for another crack at the title with his excellent early-morning, three-under par round of 68.
At one under, Day is tied for seventh, six behind the Irish leader Shane Lowry, four adrift of the Englsh pair of Dan Brown and former US Open champ Justin Rose but only one behind Scottie Scheffler, Billy Horschel and Dean Burmester.
It’s put the 36-year-old in the shake-up once again after his battling effort at Royal Hoylake in appalling, rain-swept conditions last year – and the world No.31 was not shy in admitting he got the best of the weather in his round that began at 8.14am.
“We got lucky with the draw, I feel,” said Day, happy to get back to the clubhouse before the wind kicked up in the afternoon.
“This morning, though it was still a bit windy, it calmed down for us through the first 12 holes.”
Day, who shot 73 in his first round, launched his early-morning follow-up with a 30ft birdie putt at the second.
Another six footer at the next thrust him back to level and a 25ft birdie at the 13th, after he’d been trouble off the tee, put him into red figures.
Day, who’s finished runner-up in each of the majors, is now hoping for a big push over the weekend to add to the PGA crown he won nine years ago.
“You just kind of try and be as steady as I was today,” he said of his prospective approach on Saturday’s moving day.
“I played really nice today. I’d like to play like that over the next two days, but I’ve just got to kind of take it one shot at a time.
“So just kind of try to get myself in contention, and then anything happens on Sunday.”
Smith’s Championship is one he’ll wish to forget in a hurry.
He followed up his opening 80 – his worst ever score at a major – with a 74 that left him at 12 over for the two days, a yawning 19 shots behind playing partner Lowry.
Scott, fresh from his runners-up spot at the Scottish Open, had begun at one under, but after a couple of early bogeys, then suffered a double at the ‘Postage Stamp’ eighth hole where he failed to extricate himself from a greenside bunker and missed a short putt.
The little 120-yard horror may have spooked him as he turned for home with three more straight bogeys but with a lost weekend looming, the tough 44-year-old holed a 31-footer for birdie at the penultimate hole to ensure his 77 was enough at five over for him to make his 19th Open cut from 24 attempts.
Lee fared worse still, slumping from his overnight level-par to nine over with an 80 that featured one double-bogey and seven bogeys.
Amateur Jasper Stubbs carded a really creditable 72 for an 10 over total that beat Smith’s total by two, while Elvis Smylie finished his major debut with a 75, finishing at nine over.
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