Smith's hopes of challenging for a first major championship bit the dust at Brookline after a second disappointing round with Australia's World No.6 following up an opening 72 with a frustrating 74.

Smith slumped to six-over-par for the tournament, ensuring he would miss the halfway cut on Friday night.

Playing in his 84th consecutive major, Scott for much of the day continued to be Australia's brightest ray of light but will need a weekend charge after a three-over 73 left the former World No.1 seven shots adrift of leaders Collin Morikawa and Joel Dahmen.

Starting on the back nine, he mixed two birdies with two bogeys to remain in red numbers at the turn.

A double-bogey five on the 2nd, his 11th hole, threatened to derail Scott before a bounce-back birdie on the 4th steadied the ship.

But Scott copped a nasty break when he almost holed out for eagle on the next, only for his ball to ricochet off the pin and spin several metres away from the hole.

RIGHT: Adam Scott fought hard to stay in the mix but has plenty to do over the weekend. PHOTO: Jared C. Titlton/Getty Images.

Two late bogeys compounded his woes and left the 2013 Masters champion in a tie for 40th with countryman Todd Sinnott.

A sectional qualifier in Japan, the 439th-ranked Sinnott posted his second successive 71 to impressively survive the cut at two-over, the same score Marc Leishman was on with two holes of his round remaining, before a birdie at the penultimate hole took him to one-over and in a share of 31st.

Having opened the tournament with an even-par round of 70, Leishman quickly recovered from a bogey at the par-4 4th with a birdie at the next before a five at the 9th saw him make the turn in one-over.

Another bogey at the long par-4 12th hole appeared to have the man from Warrnambool finishing on the same score as Scott and Sinnott, but Leishman saved his best for second last, spinning his approach shot from the back of the green to within tap-in range at the par-4 17th.

And two weeks after his sister Minjee won her second major at the U.S. Women's Open, Min Woo Lee secured a weekend tee time on the number after a late rescue act in his second round.

Todd Sinnott has made the weekend in his major championship debut. PHOTO: Warren Little/Getty Images.

Lee eagled his penultimate hole, the eighth, sinking an 18-footer that ensured he battled back to three over for the tournament after a level-par round of 70.

But the tournament is over for Smith and fellow Australians Lucas Herbert and Jed Morgan.

Smith had his work cut out after a difficult opening round and his hopes of a fast start were quickly scuppered on Friday morning.

The Queenslander found the thick, rough stuff in front of the green at the par-3 2nd, and swished angrily at the grass after failing to get within 30 feet with his second shot.

After a bogey there, his mood was hardly improved with further dropped shots at the 4th and 6th leaving him with a mountain to make it to the weekend.

But it only got worse, a wayward drive at the 10th and the failure to extricate himself from a tough greenside lie at the 15th leading to two more bogeys.

A tee shot to five feet at the par-3 16th eventually earned Smith his first birdie in 23 holes but it was too little too late with the cut line at four-over.

Herbert crashed to 13-over with a horror 79, while Morgan ended at 16-over after following up his disastrous opening 82 with a 74.

Chasing the third leg of a career grand slam, Morikawa grabbed the solo lead at five-under with a 66, the low round of the day, before Dahmen’s 68 saw him join his compatriot at the top of the leaderboard halfway.

They lead Hayden Buckley (68), defending champion Jon Rahm (67), Rory McIlroy (69), Aaron Wise (68) and Beau Hossler (67) by a shot.