Australia’s Davis surges into Masters contention as Tiger breaks another record

DeChambeau remained at his overnight seven-under score through nine holes on Friday as fellow American and world No.1 Scottie Scheffler joined him atop the leaderboard with a birdie on the second.

Davis enjoyed the clubhouse lead for 95 minutes until young Dane Nicolai Hojgaard (73) pipped him at four under.

Big gun Cameron Smith remained the next best Australian at one under early in his second round.

Playing with superstar five-time champion Tiger Woods, Jason Day was fighting to make the cut. Day was right on the projected cut line at three over, where he started the round, after returning early on Friday morning to complete his opener and then back up for his second round.

Resuming at even par through 13 holes, he double-bogeyed the 16th after dumping his ball into the water, then dropped another shot at the last after slicing his tee shot into the trees.

But he stayed steady to stay in the hunt, as did Min Woo Lee, who was also three over but only through six holes.

Adam Scott, still Australia’s only Masters winner, was five over with two holes remaining and desperately needing a birdie to have any hope of securing a weekend tee spot.

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.

After starting the day at one under through 13 holes of his opening round, Woods dropped two shots to post a one-over 73. He then carved out an even-par second-round 72 in howling winds as the crowd rode his every shot.

On a day when pars were like gold, a thunderous “Tiger roar” reverberated around the course when he chipped in for birdie from the collar of a bunker on the par-three sixth. Further birdies on the third, eighth and 15th holes offset bogeys on four, five and No.14 as Woods eclipsed the cut record he previously shared with Fred Couples and Gary Player.

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.

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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