Australian Open: Youngsters play learning game as Jason Day lurks

For a moment, a dreadful moment, it looked like Jordan Spieth would not make the cut.

Jason Day plays his second shot at the 16th hole during his second round at the Australian Open yesterday. Picture: AAP

For a moment, a dreadful moment, it looked like Jordan Spieth would not make the cut. The million-­dollar guest of Golf Australia — here, have some more — was in danger of joining the weekend drongos, some of whom were packing their bags and their hopes and heading for next week’s PGA championship.

It was a delicate doings. Spieth is the bearer of a cheque longer than the 424m par-5 9th hole. It was this cheque and the discussions around it which is said to have kept the likes of Adam Scott away from Australian Open. Speculation about the cut ended with a plonk when Spieth dropped only his second birdie of the day on the last hole he played.

Spieth might not have been at the top nor in the middle of the Open battle but Australia’s highest-ranking golfer Jason Day was. Nothing crazy or heroic; nothing miraculous of Tigerish. Just ­calculated, no risk and wise. Three birdies pitted against two bogeys on his front nine. Then what was dropped on the 11th was picked up on 12th. Keep Australia clean.

The top of the order was ­increasingly being owned by the younger men.

Even Day is 30 now and prepares for the time “the big dog” will be passed from one generation to the next. It is coming in a hurry. If there is a delay it is maybe in our young men and women learning to become golfers rather than learning to play golf. The difference is distinct and important.

These are the fledglings. Men and women feeling the oppressive pressure of taking their golf from weekend club competition and pennant to the intensity of ­professional play. The extraordinary suburban golfer is an ­ordinary one when he needs to do more than catch a tram to get to the next ­tournament.

Lucas Herbert, his first full year out as a professional, recalled how he watched his former amateur mates Curtis Luck and Ryan ­Ruffels go from tournament to tournament by private plane and on a wing and sponsor’s invite. They travelled first class, played fourth class.

At The Australian this weekend we had young men at the top after the second round; refreshing all of them. Herbert was the first in at nine-under after his second round 66. He had a tale to tell, ­experiences to relay. Was it tougher than you anticipated when you left the amateur ranks, moving into the professional game?

“Absolutely. I think leaving the amateur ranks and I think even some of the guys that come through, there’s this little bit of (amazement), you see guys like Curtis and Ryan Ruffels getting ­invites on tour, flying in private jets everywhere, staying in five-star hotels and you think that’s what you’re going to get. Then you turn pro and you’re so horribly ­mistaken. You’re like: ‘I’m playing a Pro-Am for how much again?’ It’s such a sudden realisation.

“I was laughing at these guys for going and playing a Pro-Am and now I can see, OK, that’s ­pretty important and I actually need to go and do that as well,” Herbert said.

Learning to play golf is as ­important as learning to live it.

By mid-afternoon the breeze dropped, skies took a bruising and it was not just the weather that was about to turn.

Australian Open winner in 2015 Matt Jones had a second round four-under 66.

“I played much better than yesterday. Of course, the conditions were a lot easier, but I hit a lot of good shots, made a lot of putts and I think my only bogey was on the last hole, which was disappointing, but you’re going to have them, and I’m in a good position for ­tomorrow.”

With Cameron Davis still ­putting around the top of the field — a bogey on the last dragged him back to seven-under — Herbert in on nine-under and Day picking up four birdies from the 12th to the 15th to sit overnight on eight-under, a quiet tournament had just picked up the pace. Spieth or no Spieth. The American is seven shots shy of Day but he is not ­discounted. Spieth? Seven shots? Two rounds? Beware. Be very aware. Day dropped a shot on the 17th as he tried to put the overnight pressure on Lucas and Davis.

As he left the press interview room with media guru Kathie Shearer it was announced that the media must allow Day to go first. “Oh, I like this,” Day joked.

It will be even better come ­tomorrow evening.