………..Fatiha Betscher, Pebble Beach, CA.
The Australian-pair of Matt Jones and Jason Day shone ahead of Valentines Day, and the second day of the AT & T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
Jones, the reigning Shell Houston Open champion, added a 66 to his opening 65 to tie American Brandt Snedeker atop of the lead on 12-under par and one clear of Justin Hicks (68).
Day, who won last week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, bounced back from a level par 72 on Thursday and shoot a score 10 shots fewer, and with his score of a nine under par 62 featuring an eagle, eight birdies and just the one bogey.
However the Queenslander was unsure if he would compete on day two of the $US 6.8m event as his young son, Dash was very sick so much so he had been taken in the emergency room of a local hospital on the eve of the event.
Jason Days puts aside illness to his son to bounce back from a 72 to shoot a second round 62. (Photo – www.pgatour.com)
“He had some stomach problems and he was throwing up and both ends,” Day said. “And then he gave it to my wife and then my wife gave it to me. So, I didn’t think I was going to play today, especially 30 minutes before my round because I was feeling pretty awful.”
Once he started playing, though, Day began to feel a little better. And why not? The young Aussie ended up shooting a 62 that left him three strokes off the lead after eight birdies, one eagle and a lone bogey at Monterey Peninsula Country Club.
The 12th hole, Day’s third of the day, was the catalyst. His wedge on the par 5 went in the hole and came back out but he still managed to make birdie. Three holes later, karma was his as he holed a wedge for eagle at the next par 5.
“So just things like that,” Day said. “And just my putter was hot today. Hit a lot of good shots off the tee and into the greens and then holed a lot of putts.”
Day said he still feels the momentum of Sunday’s playoff win at the Farmers Insurance Open that boosted him to No. 4 in the world. He just wants to get his energy level up so he can make a run at the leaders over the weekend.
“Right now I don’t feel like eating anything because anything that I will probably eat will probably come back up,” the 27-year-old said.
“So, to be able to shoot 9 under out there with how sick I was, thinking about pulling out, was pretty special, just because I put myself back in the tournament and I got two more days left.”
