Matt Jones in action this week -Photo USGA Robert Beck
Matt Jones leads the Australians at the completion of round two of the US Open at Torrey Pines, a second round of 71 having him at 1 over par for the championship and one ahead of Marc Leishman.
A copybook birdie at the par five 9th (his last hole of the day) has Jones in a share of 21st position and nicely placed just six shots from the lead of Richard Bland and Russell Henley as the event heads into the weekend.
The performance by Jones reverses a horror run at the US Open to date, having missed the cut in all four of his previous appearances but after an opening round of 72 yesterday he was able to fashion a round of even par 71 today to make it into the weekend for the first time.
The two-time Australian Open champion won earlier in the season on the PGA Tour but his most recent form has left a little to be desired having missed the cut in his last two appearances and not recorded a top twenty since his victory at the Honda Classic.
Leishman is at 2 over par after an excellent round of 70 which was made even more impressive given his bogey to start and a double bogey to start the back nine.
Marc Leishman plays the 3rd hole today – photo USGA Kojhiro Kinno
Adam Scott was again forced to recover from a slow start when dropping three shots over his first three holes of round two. He fought his way back to be at 2 over for the round before a messy double bogey at his 14th hole had him with some work to do just to make the cut.
Scott parred his final four holes to finish at 3 over for the championship but he described his play today as ‘terrible’ and needs a big weekend if he is to make any significant progress.
Adam Scott – fought back to safely make the weekend – photo Darren Carroll USGA
Wade Ormsby was played well through his front nine holes and made the turn at even par. But he struggled over his closing nine holes for a back nine of 39 to be at 4 over and was forced to wait all day following his first tee time of round two to establish whether he had made it to the weekend. He had.
Cameron Smith’s round of 75 included two triple bogeys and a double bogey but after making the turn in 40 he produced three birdies early in his back nine to battle his way back into a possible place in the weekend field before a triple bogey at his 16th hole cost him any hope.
Smith finished at 5 over and missed the weekend by just one.
Brad Kennedy and Stephen Allan were the other two Australians in the field but both missed the cut by large margins.
