Australian hopes fade at The Masters as Jason Day suffers difficult second round

In a deflating late second-round collapse at Augusta National, Jason Day’s Masters’ hopes appear to have sunk in Rae’s Creek.

Day dropped four shots in his last four holes in Friday’s second round after dunking his ball in the drink on the famous par-5 15th and taking a dreaded double-bogey seven to slip seven strokes behind American clubhouse leader Brooks Koepka.

After finding the trees off the tee, Day laid up short of the water and left spectators open-jawed when he fluffed his approach straight in.

“Had 82 yards, I’m trying to hit 30 yards off a 60, on a pretty severe downslope, and trying to hit it pretty clean to get some spin on it,” he reflected ruefully.

“It’s really difficult to take a lot of distance off a 60 (degree wedge) and you’re trying to elevate it, too.

“It wasn’t the first one I hit fat today, unfortunately. Looking back, it would have been nice to get a good drive away there so I could hit the green in two.

“But then you’re left and you’ve got to chip out to the right.”

The slip-up precipitated two uncharacteristic three-putt bogeys on the 16th and 18th holes as Day ended his round at five under after signing for a rollercoaster even-par 72.

From one stroke behind Koepka at one point, Day suddenly found himself seven back of the American and needing a weekend miracle to contend for the green jacket down the stretch on Sunday.

Day also made a mess of the par-5 eighth, racking up a bogey after being greenside for two.

His two fluffed chip shots effectively provided a six-stroke swing, with Koepka making eagle on Number 8 and birdie on 15 as Day played the holes in three over.

“Obviously, going from nine to five (under) was a bit of a kick in the guts,” the shattered star said.

“Being decently close to where Brooks was going into the weekend, you never know how it goes … yeah, it’s disappointing because you’re coming in with some good momentum going into 15, even though I missed a short one on 14.”

Australia’s former world number one had been flying.

After starting the day at five under, he quickly shot to seven under, with successive birdies on two and three.

Even after his sloppy bogey on the eighth, Day bounced straight back with a lovely birdie on nine before a Larry Mize-like chip-in birdie on the 11th propelled him to eight under and solo second spot behind Koepka.

With Mize playing the last round of his 40th and final Masters on Friday, the chip-in from almost the same position where the Augusta native holed out in a play-off to break Greg Norman’s heart 36 years ago made it feel like fate was on Day’s side.

However, instead of burying the demons of one of Australia’s cruellest sporting moments, the ghosts of Norman returned to haunt Day in a Shark-like meltdown.

Day was still safely in the clubhouse sharing sixth position as severe weather hit Augusta, with the afternoon starters teeing off.

However, he cut a dejected figure, trying to explain away his gut-wrenching finish.

“I’ve just got to give myself time. I’m thoroughly annoyed with myself,” he said.

“I’m sitting here answering questions, and that can be difficult, because it’s in the heat of the moment and I’m trying to get a hold of myself.”

Koepka backed-up his opening round of 65 with a 67 to seize command at 12 under, with American amateur Sam Bennett his unlikely closest pursuer in the clubhouse, four shots behind after successive 68s.

Australian Adam Scott sits one stroke behind Day, while countryman Cameron Smith is a further two strokes behind Scott.

AAP

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