AUSTRALIA’S British Open hopes have been blown away in brutal winds at Royal Birkdale.

A spirited Jason Day (five-over) fell by the wayside, while fellow heavyweight Adam Scott (three-over) hung tough but still finished the second round nine strokes adrift of the lead following a four-over 74. American star Jordan Spieth is the outright leader at six-under, after carding a one-under 69 in Round 2.

“It was just difficult. I don’t know how else to assess it,” Scott said. “Tough winds for this golf course, too. I know it’s allowed to blow a lot around here but, out of the southeast, it made some angles pretty tough, fairways tough to hit.

“It was really challenging out there.”

Both Aussie stars began the day only four shots off the pace, but Day’s six-over-par 76 after he finished six, six, six left the former world No.1 out of contention and right on the five-over cut line.

Adam Scott of Australia reacts to his tee shot on the 9th hole. Source: Getty Images

Major championship rookie Andrew Dodt is one shot adrift of Scott as the best Aussie, carding 75 today to finish four-over.

Marc Leishman (76) dropped to five-over, while fellow US PGA Tour star Aaron Baddeley also finished at five-over carding a 76. Scott Hend joined them at five-over after a 74 today.

At seven-over, Adam Bland (72) and Open rookie Matthew Griffin (77) missed the cut, while Cameron Smith (75) is also gone after slumping to nine-over.

**

OPEN SECOND ROUND, MAIN REPORT

Jordan Spieth has overcome crazy cross-winds, squalls and a 25-minute rain delay to seize the outright halfway lead at the British Open.

The reigning Australian Open champion and world No.3 fashioned an eventful two- under-par 69 in the wet and wild weather to climb to six-under for the tournament.

Chasing the third leg of the fabled career grand slam, Spieth is two strokes ahead of fellow American Matt Kuchar (71) after lighting up gloomy Southport with a late eagle three to burst free from the pack.

“It was a really solid day,” said the 2015 Masters and US Open champion.

With his challengers coming and going, Spieth enjoys a three-shot advantage over US Open champion Brooks Koepka (72) and Ian Poulter, whose dogged even-par round of 70 has the Englishman dreaming of going one better than his second at Birkdale in 2008.

Jordan Spieth watches his shot from the 16th fairway Source: AFP

Scot Richie Ramsay (70) is fifth at two under, while the resurgent Rory McIlroy (68) is “ecstatic” to be back in the red at one-under and in a four-way share of sixth.

But the man they all must catch is Spieth, who once again showcased his brilliant short game to take command.

Just when he began to slide down the leaderboard, Spieth’s signature scrambling swiftly turned his fortunes around.

He made bogey on the ninth to fall into a share of the lead, and was headed for another - or worse - on No.10 when he drove into a pot bunker, blasted out sideways and hit his third shot short and left of the green. But as the rain picked up, Spieth chipped in for par, then rolled in a 10-metre birdie putt on 11 followed that with a tee shot to less than a metre on 12. Suddenly he enjoyed a two-shot lead.

His advantage was back to one after a bogey on 14, but a bounce-back eagle extended his lead to three before a three-putt bogey on 16 gave his chasers hope.

With winds of almost 50km/h gusting through the course, Kuchar earlier mixed four bogeys with three birdies and hoped to kick back in his hotel and watch the afternoon carnage unfold.

“There’s a whole lot of trouble to be had,” he said.

Spieth, though, defied a torrential downpour - which led to ground staff needing almost half an hour to sponge the rain-soaked greens - to assume control with his eagle on the par-5 15th.

“Really nice to capitalise on it,” Spieth said.

“I was able to knock that putt in, get me to seven-under, which was a place I didn’t think I’d get to today starting the day.

“And we got in at six (under) and it was a very, very solid day. Very pleased with the score.”

Jordan Spieth plays from a bunker on the 14th hole. Source: AFP

AIR J-DAY CAUSES OPEN FASHION STIR

‘CLASSLESS’ ATTACK ON AUSSIE’S OPEN TRIUMPH BLASTED

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LEADERBOARD

Full leaderboard and live scores HERE

ALL 2ND ROUND TEE TIMES

6.35am local (3.35pm Friday AEST) - Adam Hadwin (CAN), Andrew Johnston (ENG), Todd Hamilton (USA)

6.46am (3.46pm AEST) - John Daly (USA), Adam Bland (AUS), Connor Syme (AM)

6.57am (3.57pm AEST) - William McGirt (USA), Toby Tree (ENG), Jamie Lovemark (USA)

7.08am (4.08pm AEST) - Austin Connelly (CAN), Matthew Griffin (AUS), Matthew Southgate (ENG)

7.19am (4.19pm AEST) - Cameron Smith (AUS), Bill Haas (USA), Callum Shinkwin (ENG)

7.30am (4.30pm AEST) - Brian Harman (USA), Michael Hendry (NZL), Martin Laird (SCO)

7.41am (4.41pm AEST) - Ross Fisher (ENG), Ernie Els (RSA), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)

7.52am (4.52pm AEST) - Tyrrell Hatton (ENG), Martin Kaymer (GER), Aaron Baddeley (AUS)

8.03am (5.03pm AEST) - Jason Day (AUS), Zach Johnson (USA), Sergio Garcia (ESP)

8.14am (5.14pm AEST) - Andy Sullivan (ENG), Joost Luiten (NED), David Lipsky (USA)

8.25am (5.25pm AEST) - Rickie Fowler (USA), Adam Scott (AUS), Paul Casey (ENG)

8.36am (5.36pm AEST) - Matt Kuchar (USA), Richie Ramsay (SCO), Ryan Fox (NZL)

8.47am (5.47pm AEST) - Kevin Kisner (USA), Charley Hoffman (USA), David Drysdale (SCO)

9.03am (6.03pm AEST) - Hideto Tanihara (JPN), Jimmy Walker (USA), Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN)

9.14am (6.14pm AEST) - Jhonattan Vegas (VEN), Brandon Stone (RSA), Sean O’Hair (USA)

9.25am (6.25pm AEST) - Daniel Berger (USA), Pablo Larrazabal (ESP), Yuta Ikeda (JPN)

9.36am (6.36pm AEST) - Kevin Chappell (USA), Paul Lawrie (SCO), Yusaku Miyazato (JPN)

9.47am (6.47pm AEST) - Rory McIlroy (NIR), Dustin Johnson (USA), Charl Schwartzel (RSA)

9.58am (6.58pm AEST) - Patrick Reed (USA), Jon Rahm (ESP), Lee Westwood (ENG)

10.09am (7.09pm AEST) - Francesco Molinari (ITA), Phil Mickelson (USA), Marc Leishman (AUS)

10.20am (7.20pm AEST) - Scott Hend (AUS), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Bubba Watson (USA)

10.31am (7.31pm AEST) - Kyle Stanley (USA), Paul Waring (ENG), Kevin Na (USA)

10.42am (7.42pm AEST) - Kim Gi-Whan (KOR), Xander Schauffele (USA), Andrew Dodt (AUS)

10.53am (7.53pm AEST) - Li Haotong (CHN), Kent Bulle (USA), Haydn McCullen (ENG)

11.04am (8.04pm AEST) - Jbe Kruger (RSA), Nick McCarthy (ENG), Ashley Hall (AUS)

11.15am (8.15pm AEST) - Laurie Canter (ENG), Ryan McCarthy (AUS), Sebastian Munoz (COL)

11.36am (8.36pm AEST) - Chris Wood (ENG), Mark O’Meara (USA), Ryan Moore (USA)

11.47am (8.47pm AEST) - Phachara Khongwatmai (THA), Maverick McNealy (AM), Stuart Manley (WAL)

11.58am (8.58pm AEST) - Stewart Cink (USA), Sandy Lyle (SCO), Wang Jeung-Hun (KOR)

12.09pm (9.09pm AEST) - Thongchai Jaidee (THA), Paul Broadhurst (ENG), Roberto Castro (USA)

12.20pm (9.20pm AEST) - Tom Lehman (USA), An Byeong-Hun (KOR), Darren Fichardt (RSA)

12.31pm (9.31pm AEST) - Billy Horschel (USA), Soren Kjeldsen (DEN), Danny Willett (ENG)

12.42pm (9.42pm AEST) - Steve Stricker (USA), Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG), Emiliano Grillo (ARG)

12.53pm (9.53pm AEST) - Jason Dufner (USA), Branden Grace (RSA), Bryson DeChambeau (USA)

1.04pm (10.04pm AEST) - Russell Knox (SCO), Alex Noren (SWE), Ian Poulter (ENG)

1.15pm (10.15pm AEST) - David Duval (USA), Prayad Marksaeng (THA), K.T. Kim (KOR)

1.26pm (10.26pm AEST) - Song Young-Han (KOR), David Horsey (ENG), Dylan Frittelli (RSA)

1.37pm (10.37pm AEST) - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Charles Howell III (USA), Shiv Kapur (IND)

1.48pm (10.48pm AEST) - Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR), Russell Henley (USA), Peter Uihlein (USA)

2.04pm (11.04pm AEST) Brendan Steele (USA), Alexander Levy (FRA), Webb Simpson (USA)

2.15pm (11.15pm AEST) - Wesley Bryan (USA), Anirban Lahiri (IND), Alfie Plant (AM)

2.26pm (11.26pm AEST) - Gary Woodland (USA), Darren Clarke (NIR), Harry Ellis (AM)

2.37pm (11.37pm AEST) - Padraig Harrington (IRE), Pat Perez (USA), Thomas Pieters (BEL)

2.48pm (11.48pm AEST) - Henrik Stenson (SWE), Kim Si-Woo (KOR), Jordan Spieth (USA)

2.59pm (11.59pm AEST) - Louis Oosthuizen (RSA), Justin Rose (ENG), Justin Thomas (USA)

3.10pm (Saturday 12.10am AEST) - Brooks Koepka (USA), Hideki Matsuyama (JPN), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)

3.21pm (12.21am AEST) - Brandt Snedeker (USA), J.B. Holmes (USA), Shane Lowry (IRE)

3.32pm (12.32am AEST) - Richard Bland (ENG), Shaun Norris (RSA), Luca Cianchetti (AM)

3.43pm (12.43am AEST) - Chan Kim (USA), Chang Yi-Keun (KOR), Mark Foster (ENG)

3.54pm (12.54am AEST) - Kang Sung-Hoon (KOR), Tony Finau (USA), Matthieu Pavon (FRA)

4.05pm (1.05am AEST) - Alexander Bjork (SWE), Joseph Dean (ENG), Robert Streb (USA)

4.16pm (1.16am AEST) - Robert Dinwiddie (ENG), Julian Suri (USA), Adam Hodkinson (ENG)

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