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Day, Scott cover lack of form on US tour

Adam Scott and Jason Day have dominated the first half of the US PGA Tour season, but what of the rest of the Aussies?

Australian golfers Adam Scott (L) and Jason Day
The brilliance of Adam Scott (L) and Jason Day is covering up their countrymen's lack of form. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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Australian golf is on track for its best - and worst - performance of the US PGA Tour playoffs era, with the brilliance of Adam Scott and Jason Day covering up their countrymen's lack of form this season.

Since its inception in 2007, no Australian has won the lucrative FedEx Cup, the season-long points race culminating in a four-event playoff series and a whopping $US10 million winner's bonus.

But with Scott leading at halfway mark and Day second thanks to their two wins each, hopes are high for a breakthrough in 2016.

Day went close last year when he arrived at the season-ending Tour Championship as the top dog but was overhauled by Jordan Spieth.

"I'd love to win the FedEx Cup," Day said.

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"The prestige of winning it all is still in its infancy but in the future it will be something every player will wish to have on their resume."

Only the top 125 players on the points list make the playoffs, with that number reduced at each event before the 30-man Tour Championship.

Importantly those in the 125 also secure a tour card for the following season.

But while Scott and Day have dominated the first half of the season, the rest of the Australian contingent are far from securing jobs.

In 2007, 14 Australians made the playoffs - still the most ever.

Last season the number dropped to a record low of six.

This year only Scott, Day, Marc Leishman (64th on the points list), Aaron Baddeley (70th) and John Senden (120th) are currently inside the playoff mark.

Outside and looking in are Matt Jones (129th), Cameron Smith (132nd), Steven Bowditch (156th), Stuart Appleby (160th), Cameron Percy (178th), Geoff Ogilvy (187th), Rod Pampling (194th), Rhein Gibson (200th), Greg Chalmers (218th), Jarrod Lyle (223rd) and Robert Allenby (225th).

The good news is all it takes is one good week to turn fortunes around.

Baddeley's efforts are impressive given he is without tour status this season and is playing out of the past champion category, so far making the most of limited opportunities.

"I'm sure all the Aussie guys will be fighting hard for the rest of the year to play their best golf," said Baddeley. "It's not in our nature to do anything else."

While Day and Scott are resting this week, Allenby, Appleby, Baddeley, Chalmers, Gibson, Jones, Ogilvy, Pampling, Percy, Senden are teeing it up at this week's Texas Open, along with youngster Ryan Ruffels who has three events left as he attempts to earn temporary tour membership.


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