A frustrated Cameron Smith said being put on the clock for slow play during the second round of the Australian Open was annoying and suggested it played a role in his poor score down the back nine.

First-round leader Lucas Herbert shot 66 Friday at Kingston Heath for a two-round total of 14-under 129 and had a four-stroke stroke lead heading into the weekend.

But it was different story for the 2022 British Open champion Smith, who shot 72 and struggled down the stretch, as his group, which included fellow Australian Elvis Smylie, was warned for slow play.

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Smith strongly disagreed with the call and suggested it was due to Smylie, because the same thing happened when they played together at last week’s Australian PGA championship at Royal Queensland.

Smylie a former Smith scholarship recipient, played the house down as the Queenslander had bogeys at 10, 12 and 15 as well as a double bogey at 16 and stated he felt rushed, which led to some poor shots.

“I don’t get put on the clock too often. I feel like we do a pretty good job. There is a common denominator there that’s a little bit slower,” Smith said of Smylie.

“It’s not something I like because I feel like I’m a pretty fast paced player as it is, so being put on the clock is just another thing. I feel like I did my best to play as quick as I can, and I feel like I’m running around.

“I just made a couple of poor choices. We got on the clock there and it didn’t seem like we were playing that slow, and it felt like we were just rushing. Made some really poor choices mentally, I think, led to a few bogeys. You, kind of, get on that train in that wind and it’s not a good spot to be in.”

When asked if he would speak to Smylie about his pace of play, Smith said, “it’s not my job to”.

“I think there’s better ways to go about that stuff, but that’s another topic,” he added.

Meantime, Herbert had three birdies in a row on the back nine but said he was scrambling.

“It was pretty windy and there was some tricky tee shots on that back nine,” Herbert said. “I’m really proud of those last three or four holes there.”

American Ryggs Johnston was in second place after a 68 at Victoria. Smylie, who won last week’s Australian PGA, shot 64 and was tied for third, five strokes behind Herbert.

Defending men’s champion Joaquin Niemann had a 66 Friday at Victoria and was at 4-under, 10 strokes behind.

In the Women’s Australian Open, Yang shot 71 at Kingston Heath and had a two-round total of 9-under 136 to lead by a stroke. Jiyai Shin was tied for second after a 68 at Kingston Heath.

Hannah Green, the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship winner, finished with two birdies for a 71 at Victoria and was two strokes behind in fourth.

“It was nice to at least finish with two par-5s and be able to get two birdies to finish on a positive note and good momentum going into the weekend,” Green said.

Defending women’s champion Ashleigh Buhai shot 68 and was at 4-under, five strokes behind. At one point in the first round the South African player had fallen nine strokes out of the lead.

LPGA Tour regular Minjee Lee shot 74 at Victoria and was at 3-over while her brother, PGA Tour player Min Woo Lee, had a 69 at Victoria and was at 3-under.