Australia’s Davis, Smith surge into Masters mix as Tiger breaks another record

Augusta: Cam Davis and Cameron Smith have emerged unscathed on a day of carnage at Augusta National to raise hopes of another hoodoo-busting Australian Masters triumph.

Davis held his nerve to upstage his more-fancied compatriots and climb into a share of fifth, just three shots off the halfway lead, while Smith also surged into serious contention during the windswept second round.

Cameron Davis of Australia plays a shot from a bunker.Credit: Getty

Davis backed up his opening three-under-par 69 with a steely 72 on Saturday (AEST) to briefly capture the clubhouse lead at golf’s first major championship of the year. Davis was tied with dual major winner Collin Morikawa (70), one shot behind rising Dane Nicolai Hojgaard (73) and just three strokes off the three American leaders, Bryson DeChambeau (72), world No.1 Scottie Scheffler (72) and Max Homa (71).

Playing in the last group of the day, Smith joined Davis in the top eight with a 71 that left the 2022 British Open champion at one under and just five back entering the weekend.

Tied for fourth at the PGA Championship in Australia’s best result of the year at the 2023 US majors, the unheralded Davis was five under and within two shots of the lead at one point before making a double bogey at the par-four seventh hole.

He flayed his drive right into the trees, chipped out on to the fairway and then dumped his third into a bunker and couldn’t scramble a bogey.

The 2017 Australian Open champion also rued putting through the green on the par-five 13th for a second six of the day, before bouncing back with a lovely birdie on 15 and clutch up-and-down par on the last.

“I had a couple of stumbles but I felt like I battled well and made some nice putts to keep the momentum,” Davis said.

“Three under in the conditions I played in, I feel pretty proud of.

“It’s a good test out there right now. I feel like pars are good scores.”

Cameron Smith avoided the carnage at Augusta.Credit: Getty Images

Playing in the last group of the day, Smith toiled even harder to stay in the hunt with a rare sub-par round.

He could have been even higher up the leaderboard if not for a sloppy three-putt bogey on the 13th and a short birdie miss on 15. Two clutch par savers late, though, made up for the misses.

Jason Day, Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott also made the cut.

Playing with legendary five-time champion Tiger Woods, Day (75-73) is four under and 10 shots adrift of the lead.

The former world No.1 had to play 23 holes after returning early to resume his opening round at even par through 13. He double-bogeyed the 16th after dumping his tee shot into the water, then dropped another stroke at the last after slicing into the trees. He stayed steady, though, in the howling winds to stay in the tournament with a one-over second round.

Lee (74-74) bogeyed the last to join Day at four over.

Scott (76-74) looked certain to miss the cut for only the third time in 23 Masters appearances following a crushing lip-out bogey at the 18th.

But the 2013 champion – and still Australia’s only green jacket owner – earned a stay of execution when fellow former world No.1 Justin Thomas also bogeyed the last hole late in the day to move the cut line to six over.

Rookie amateur Jasper Stubbs (80-76) is the only Australian heading home early after slumping to 12 over on his major championship debut.

The ferocious winds claimed a raft of big-name victims. World No.6 Viktor Hovland, reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark, 2023 British Open winner Brian Harman and former Masters champions Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama and Sergio Garcia were among the heavyweights to miss the halfway cut.

Woods fired up by record

Woods penned another glorious chapter in his storied career with a record-breaking 24th consecutive cut made at the Masters.

The 15-time major winner dragged his battered 48-year-old body around Augusta National for 23 holes on Friday in a mighty display of mental and physical resolve to earn another weekend tee time. He carved out an even-par second-round 72 in the brutal conditions as the crowd rode his every shot and Woods eclipsed the cut record he previously shared with Fred Couples and Gary Player.

Tiger Woods has made more history at the Masters.Credit: Getty Images

The former world No.1 – who had only two competitive rounds since last year’s Masters – has now made the cut at Augusta every time he’s entered since first winning, by a record 12 shots, in 1997.

At one over for the tournament, Woods still believes he can land a record-equalling sixth green jacket on Sunday.

“It means I have a chance going into the weekend. I’m here. I have a chance to win the golf tournament,” he said. “I’m right there. I’m only eight back as of right now. I don’t think anyone is going to run off and hide right now, but it’s really bunched.”

AAP

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