Golf

Form man Jason Day makes his move at Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Shane Lowry five off clubhouse lead on seven under after a 67 at Monterey Peninsula

Jason Day of Australia hits his approach shot on the first hole during the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club. Photograph: Scott Halleran/Getty Images
Jason Day of Australia hits his approach shot on the first hole during the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club. Photograph: Scott Halleran/Getty Images
Fri Feb 13 2015 - 23:22

Jason Day rediscovered the form that saw him win the Farmers Insurance Open after a four-way play-off at Torrey Pines last weekend to move back into contention at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

The Australian opened this week’s play with a 72 at Pebble Beach that was patchy, at best, but responded with eight birdies and an eagle for a stunning 62 at Monterey Peninsula. He dropped his only shot at 18, having started at 10, and came home in 29 for a nine-under-par round.

American Charlie Beljan also bogeyed the 18th at Monterey but was one shot better off than Day on 10 under thanks to his 63, having also shot the front nine in 29 and come home in 34.

He was two shots adrift of Day's fellow Australian Matt Jones and American Brandt Snedeker, the early clubhouse leaders on 12 under.

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Jones was at Spyglass Hill where his 65 at Monterey was bolstered with a 66 - eight birdies and two bogeys - while the flawless Snedeker, whose putting was as precise as ever, shot his second bogey-free round, a five-under-par 67, this time at Spyglass Hill after Thursday’s 64 at Monterey.

There was no such consistency from the surprise early contender John Daly, the 839th-ranked player in the world failing to build on a 65 a Pebble Beach with a one-over-par 72 at Monterey to drop back one to six under.

Ireland's Shane Lowry continued his solid progress of late as he kicked on from a 69 at Pebble Beach with a 67 at Monterey to move to seven under. It began slowly for him from the 10th, with his only score of note a birdie at 16 that was soon cancelled out by a bogey immediately after the turn.

However, three birdies on the bounce from the second, followed by four pars, and a birdie at the last left him four under for the day.

After his putter forced him to settle for four under on Thursday, Ireland’s Pádraig Harrington stood still at Monterey, the course not as kind to him as it was to others and forcing him into a triple bogey at 13, his fourth hole. He bounced back with birdies at 14 and 16 before a bogey at 18. He was one under for the day through 17 after further birdies at three, five and eight, only to give one back at the last and remian four under.

Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley was still getting used to new clubs have had his stolen after his arrival and it showed on his card from Spyglass where he shot 76 to drop back to six over.