2:40pm Adam Scott must produce a flourishing final six holes in tough conditions to remain to keep alive his chances of a Masters three-peat.

Scott had slumped to -1 and eight shots behind leader Michael Wright (-9) however a good tee shot and putt on the par 3 11^th hole had brought him back -2 overall and +1 through 12 holes on day two.

The other Major winner, Geoff Ogilvy, had so far managed to negotiate the difficult conditions to move to -2 for the day and -6 overall, good for a share of third place and close enough to threaten Wright.

Wright, a veteran from Queensland, began the day by breaking his run of 35 consecutive holes with out a bogey, signing a five on the par for 1^st, but picked the shot back up on the par four 5^th to remain at -9 through five holes.     

While a clutch of players had used the best of the conditions to make big runs at the title in the morning groups, Scott (-3) had struggled to make up any ground on the leaders six holes through his third round, and was still seven shots behind outright front-runner Michael Wright (-9), who had just begun his round.

The world No.2 was able to offset a bogey on the par four 3^rd hole with a birdie three holes later on the 470-metre par five 6^th hole, but rising winds were threatening to make the course far harder to play for players walking the fairways in the afternoon, rather than those in the clubhouse already.

Rising Victorian amateur Lucas Herbert had made the biggest charge, setting a new course record (counted because of the new layout at Metropolitan is being used for the first time this week) with a stunning -7 round of 65, which included a stretch of eight birdies in 10 holes.

The break-out performance had rocketed the 18-year-old up the leaderboard to -6 for the tournament, equal third and three shots behind Wright, and it seemed possinle he could stay there given conditions had started to worsen.