Jones, a member at The Australian Golf Club, had a 36-hole total of 7-under 135 on a course that was playing only slightly easier after Thursday’s brutal wind and heat when only 18 players broke par.
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Spieth will tee up from tomorrow looking to become the first non-Australian-born player to win the coveted Stonehaven Cup for a second straight year since the great Jack Nicklaus in 1975 and 1976.
Spieth had struggled in the windy conditions on the opening day but found the calmer skies more to his liking on day two and that was reflected in his score. The Australian hasn’t had a season without a victory since 2001, but is thus far winless this year.
Ogilvy fired four birdies in his opening six holes before settling for a bogey-double bogey finish on his last two holes of his outward nine.
MALELANE, South Africa (AP) – South Africa’s Christiaan Basson shot an 8-under 64 to top the Alfred Dunhill Championship leaderboard when play was suspended because of lightning.
He then moved to two under par with a birdie at his fifth hole but dropped a shot at the next before getting back to two under par with a birdie at his ninth.
Zimbawe’s Mark Williams and England’s Matt Ford shot 67. Henrik Stenson ends the year with the longest active streak on the PGA Tour for making the cut at 30 tournaments.
“You only have to see what winning the Australian Open in 2013 did for Rory McIlroy the following year, and then last year with Jordan (Spieth) winning, just look as his fabulous season this year”.
“I’m more experienced now; I’ve dealt with a year ago here where I had a bad last round, so I sort of know what to expect on the last couple of days being in the last couple of groups”.
That group includes Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts and Australians Geoff Ogilvy, Aron Price and Lincoln Tighe.
“I hit two fairways on the back nine and so when you’re playing out of rough or bunkers, it really makes it’s even harder to control”, he added.
Yesterday Senior said, “I was embarrassed and ashamed” when he carded an 80. In the middle of the round there I could’ve got something going. I felt a bit embarrassed really.
Although the greens have been changed over since he played regularly at The Australian, Jones has fond memories of roaming the fairways at his home club “watching golf as much I could” before leaving to attend Arizona State University.
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“I do know the golf course (but) the greens are completely different to what I grew upon here”, he told reporters on Friday.
