Spieth gets into contention at the Australian Open, trails Jones by 4

Defending Australian Open champion Jordan Spieth is in contention for a repeat win after a Friday 68 at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney has him four shots behind halfway leader Matt Jones.

Jones, who is a member of the host club, matched Spieth’s Friday 3-under score to reach 7-under 135 in conditions that mirrored the massive gusts that made first-round scoring very difficult.

Aussie Todd Sinnott is alone in second place at 4-under 138.

Spieth is joined in joint third with Nicolas Colsaerts, who had a Friday-best 66, Aron Price, 2006 U.S. Open winner Geoff Ogilvy and first-round leader Lincoln Tinghe, who followed an opening 66 with 73.

The 22-year-old defending champion, who played alongside Ogilvy and Lee Westwood, felt somewhat hurried down the stretch after his group was put on the clock for slow play.

‘We were falling behind,” Spieth said. ”And then once we get to 13 Lee hits it over the (television) tower and they come and tell us, `We know what happened but you still have to make up the time. So you’re in a bit of rush and it’s never a good thing.”

After a bogey-free outward 32, Spieth made birdies on the back-nine par 5s, Nos. 14 and 18, but made back-to-back bogeys at the 15th and 16th holes, to shoot even-par 36 on the final nine.

Spieth lamented the crosswinds that ravaged the course again on Friday, depositing what he thought were good shots well off his intended target.

“It’s a guessing game,” he said. “You really have a 50-50 shot. We got less than 50 percent of it right today which is frustrating, because I really was striking the ball well. It was a round where I could have shot six or seven-under.

Jones, who contended at the PGA Championship in August, is looking forward to a home-club crowd on Saturday.

”It’ll be fun to be out there on the weekend with a lot of friends and family and members from this course out there,” he said.

However, Spieth, who shot a final-round 63 on this course last year to win in similar conditions as the first two days, believes he can play spoiler.

“I feel like I’ve still got the best golf yet, to be played. that’s what’s positive,” he said. “That’s what I’m going with.”

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

Follow @RyanBallengee

Devil Ball Golf – Golf – Yahoo Sports