Adam Scott hopes class and expertise will prevail after snatching a share of the Australian Open midway lead with a spectacular end to his course-record-equalling second spherical.
Delighting the large gallery, Scott drained a long-range putt from off the inexperienced for eagle on the ultimate gap to ice a flawless seven-under-par 63 at Victoria Golf Club on Friday.
The former world No.1 vaulted to eight below for the championship to be co-leader with Victorian David Micheluzzi.
A Melbourne sandbelt specialist and second on the Australasian Tour Order of Merit after successful final month’s WA PGA, Micheluzzi can be no weekend pushover after backing up his Thursday 63 with a second-round one-under 71 at co-hosting Kingston Heath.
But making up six pictures on the world No.556 was a superb bounce-back for Scott after his self-confessed “disgusting” first-round 70 at Kingston Heath featured 4 bogeys and a double.
“It was a good day – a lot of solid stuff and I just worked my way around the course,” Scott stated.
“There’s a lot of trouble out here and I was aware of it every hole but I managed to stay out of it most of the day, whereas yesterday I was in it most of the day.
“So I turned issues round and am in a great spot going into the weekend.”
The 2009 Australian Open champion indeed looks a hot favourite to finally etch his name on the Stonehaven Cup for a second time.
He is the top-ranked player in the field and far and away the most accomplished name on the leaderboard.
Scott and Micheluzzi enjoy a three-shot buffer from their closest pursuers.
Unheralded compatriot Haydn Barron and New Zealander Josh Geary share third at five under with little-known American Gunner Wiebe.
Scott’s US PGA Tour peer Cameron Percy, Belgian Velten Meyer, Frenchman Pierre Pineau and Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard are all four back, with the Open to conclude at Victoria GC over the closing two rounds.
But having been here before and not quite finished the job and claimed an elusive second national championship, Scott isn’t counting his chickens just yet.
“Hopefully I can type of maintain operating on this path tomorrow,” he said.
“If I can play effectively tomorrow and anybody else can include me, and it is only some guys in it, that’d be a terrific place for Sunday.
“Then maybe I have some advantage from experience.”
Only the highest 30 gamers and ties will survive a second reduce after Saturday’s third spherical launched to accommodate the ladies’s occasion being staged concurrently for the primary time in Open historical past.
Cameron Smith can be amongst these making an attempt to make up floor after miraculously avoiding the midway chop.
The world No.3 solely learnt six hours after posting a second successive one-over-par spherical that he’d made the reduce on the quantity after a stack of Friday afternoon starters shot themselves out of the event.
But whereas Smith’s season continues, his LIV Golf teammate Marc Leishman can put his golf equipment away for the yr.
Leishman missed the reduce by a shot following a second-round 73 at Kingston Heath.
Adam Scott charges to Australian Open co-lead on Day 2
Adam Scott charges to Australian Open co-lead on Day 2
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Adam Scott charges to Australian Open co-lead on Day 2
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