Jason Day and Adam Scott will have the chance to pull each other along in tomorrow’s third round of the Masters as the Australian contingent fell off the pace in Friday’s second round.

It will require something truly special if there is to be a
second Green Jacket heading down under in 2015 but as they showed in 2011, when
both finished in a share of second, the fellow Queenslanders are capable of
spurring each other on.

After a brilliant start Thursday, Jason Day struggled to a
2-over round on Friday to fall from three to 11 shots behind runaway leader
Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott is on the same score after an improved second round
of 3-under 69.

But both will need to be thinking of firing in the mid 60’s
around the tricky Augusta National layout tomorrow if there is to be any hope
of an Australian victory come Sunday.

Day admitted to struggling with his swing Friday but wasn’t
helped by a slow play warning on the eighth hole when his group fell behind the
three ball in front.

"As soon as we got put on the clock I got a bad time
right away, so you are kind of rushing a little bit and I think it was my first
timing this year so that was a little bit unlucky," Day told AAP’s Ben
Everill after the round.

"It’s hard as we had just hit out of the bunker and you
get to the top of the hill trying to work out stuff."

"Then you are kind of wary after you get a bad timing,
if you get another one you get a stroke penalty, but regardless of being on the
clock it was really hard to commit out there."

There was also a turnaround in form on day two for Adam
Scott whose 3-under 69 has him sharing 12^th place with Day.

Frustrated with his Thursday effort, where he felt he could
have been two shots better than his even par result, Scott got things going on
the back nine in round two with two birdies and an eagle though offset that
good work with two bogies.

Scott’s best ever score at Augusta was a 66 in the final
round in 2012 and if he can reproduce that tomorrow, and Spieth stumbles at
all, he will have a chance come Sunday.

Geoff Ogilvy (E) and John Senden (+1) also made the cut
though at 14 and 15 shots behind respectively aren’t a realistic chance of
contending.

However, with the top-16 finishers each year guaranteed an
invite to the following year’s Masters both veterans still have plenty to play
for.

Young amateur Antonio Murdaca, who played with Adam Scott
the first two days, had a huge task ahead of him to make the cut after opening
with a 78 and while vastly improved in the second round  won’t be around for the weekend.

John Senden will be first out among the Australians tomorrow
paired with Thailand’s Jaidee Thongchai followed by Geoff Ogilvy five groups
later with Seung-ul Noh.

Day and Scott will be eight groups behind leaders Jordan
Spieth and Charley Hoffman.