Australian pair Jason Day and Matt Jones shone in the Californian sun on Friday with red-hot second rounds at the US PGA Tour’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Jones carded a 6-under 66 to sit at the top of the leaderboard with Brandt Snedeker at 12-under-par for the tournament.

World number four Day, who won last week’s event at Torrey Pines, made up for a pedestrian 72 in the opening round by firing a 9-under 62 on the Monterey Peninsula course to move to three shots from the lead.

It was Day’s equal-best Tour score as he collected eight birdies and an eagle against just one bogey and was one shot off the Monterey Peninsula course record, set by Charlie Wi with a 61 in 2012.

Day’s score was even more impressive given he was apparently battling a stomach bug for the entire day.

Jones and Snedeker – who both played the Spyglass Hill course – lead by one stroke from Justin Hicks (68) while nine Americans and Canadian David Hearn are a shot further behind at 10-under.

John Daly, who started the second round one shot behind the lead, signed for a 72 to be at 6-under.

If Day wins the tournament, he will supplant Henrik Stenson as world number two behind only Rory McIlroy.

AAP