Hot Day closes in on lead
JASON Day defied yesterday afternoon’s winds to emerge as the hot Australian Open favourite.
Day is breathing down the neck of halfway leader Lucas Herbert after wowing fans with four-straight back-nine birdies en route to a secondround three-under-par 68.
The former world No.1 climbed to eight under for the championship, just one behind Herbert, who capitalised on perfect morning scoring conditions with a sizzling 66.
First-round leader Cameron Davis cooled off with a oneover 72 but remained right in the mix in third spot at seven under.
US PGA Tour stars Matt Jones, the 2015 champion, and Cameron Smith, runner-up last year to Jordan Spieth in a playoff, share fourth at four under after respective second rounds of 67 and 69.
Former Australian Masters champion Nick Cullen (72) and veteran Richard Green (68) are also at four under and four off the pace.
Spieth, though, faces an uphill battle retaining the Stonehaven Cup after failing to make any inroads on the leaders. His second-round 71 leaves the world No.2 and three-time major winner at one under and eight shots adrift of Herbert.
“You know on this golf course more than just about any that we play, I feel like you can make up more ground and come from behind here over I think any tournament I’ve played this entire year,” Spieth said.
While Day is undoubtedly in the box seat heading into the weekend, Herbert, who famously slept in the Carnarvon Golf Club car park during Open qualifying three years ago then led after the first round last year at Royal Sydney, collected six birdies before dropping his only shot of the day at the last.
Having sharpened his shorter game this year, Herbert believes lessons from last year’s Open, when he faded to finish tied 20th, will be a big help when he duels with Day on Saturday in the final group.
“I think more mentally than anything because, by Sunday afternoon, I was wrecked,” Herbert said of how he was better prepared to go on with the job this time around.
“It takes so much out of you to be (around the lead). I learnt a lot from that.
“I don’t need to waste a lot of energy thinking about it.”