World No. 1 and defending champion Jordan Spieth has set himself the target of completing the final two rounds in 10-under par if he’s to retain the Australian Open title.
Spieth displayed all the class of a double Major winner battling his way through a ‘frustrating’ day to record a three under par 68 moving to three under par and within four shots of the lead.
Sydney-born Matt Jones, winner of the 2014 Shell Houston Open, took full advantage of his Australian Club course knowledge also shooting a 68 to move to seven under par.
Rookie Australian-born pro Todd Sinnott is in second place shooting a 70 to move into second place at four under par.
Jordan Spieth predicting 10-under par over the weekend if he’s to retain his Australian Open title.
The effort from Jones and Sinnott has them also in line to secure one of the three places into next year’s Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland.
Spieth, for a second day running, kick-started his round with a first hole birdie and managed three other birdies but also back-to-back bogeys at 15 and 16, and in a round of just 27 putts.
“The cross-winds again made it a guessing game out there today leaving a 50-50 shot and we got less than 50% of them right,” said Spieth.
“It just made it so frustrating as I was striking the ball well, and it was a round I could have shot six or seven under par, and I just didn’t have any chances.
“I had a lot of shots right at the pin, like at nine and 10, and in the middle of the round I could have got something going but managed to save myself when I got it wrong.
Jordan Spieth signing autographs after his second round.
“Boy, it was a round that could have been and that made it so frustrating as I found myself finally getting into a nice rhythm as I was hitting fairways and giving myself opportunities but I just couldn’t quite gauge the wind.
“So right now my goal is with two rounds to play to go out and shoot 10-under par and I think that should be good enough.”
And there was the added pressure for Spieth along with playing partners Geoff Ogilvy and Lee Westwood when the group was advised by a Golf Australia official on the 14th hole they were a hole-and-a-half behind and advised to pick up the place on play.
“It’s tough as we were falling behind but then at 10 Lee was off the tee box moving people, so it’s tough when you get told to hurry up,” said Spieth.
“So you’re in a bit of a rush and it’s never a good thing; you’d rather if not happen but you obviously understand it, you have to keep pace but then we just had bad luck.”
Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts in contention to win the Australian Open in his first appearance.
Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts, and contesting his first Australian Open, is well positioned to end a three-and-a-half winless drought posting the best round of the day, a five under par 66, to be among five players including former Australian Open winner Geoff Ogilvy (71) at three under par.
England’s Lee Westwood, who played alongside Spieth and Ogilvy, shot a 72 to be at even par and tied with close friend and European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke.
Clarke, who brought the gleaming Ryder Cup trophy to Australia for a first ever ‘down under’ visit, bounced back from a first round 75 to grab five birdies in a four under par 67.
And hometown favourite Adam Scott failed to record a single birdie in a score of 73 for a two over par tally but inside the four-over cut off mark.
