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Australia's Cameron Smith is three shots behind the leader after the second round of the LIV Golf tournament in Adelaide.

Cameron Smith feels comfortable, tired and sorry for the old lady he hit as he plots a last-round charge to victory at LIV Golf's Adelaide tournament.

The Australian drawcard is three shots shy of second-round American leader Brendan Steele at the Grange Golf Club.

Smith says he feels comfortable on course, a tad tired from all the attention, and grateful for the lady his errant shot hit on the 17th hole.

The blow rebounded kindly and Smith made a birdie - one of seven in a smooth 65 on Saturday for the Queenslander.

"I felt really bad for the old lady ... I hit her in the back," Smith said.

"It probably wasn't going to be in the trees, but it was going to be in the rough and a different lie, so it could have been a different outcome.

"But (I) made her proud and made a birdie there, and she helped me out - hopefully that eased the pain a little bit for her.

"She was nice. I went over there and I signed a ball, and she said 'just give me a hug', so I gave her a hug as well. She was sweet."

Smith is 11 under, three shots behind American Steele, who carded a stunning eight-under 64.

Steele leads from New Zealander Danny Lee (13 under), who lamented a double-bogey in his 67 to follow his first-round 64.

Mexico's Carlos Ortiz and Mito Pereira are firmly in the frame at 12 under, followed by a batch including Smith, who said the raucous home crowd was a double-edged sword.

"It definitely makes it harder, it's not making it any easier out there," he said.

"The support is amazing, but there's a lot going through your mind every second of the day.

"It's very tiring ... a good and a bad thing at the same time."

Steele, a three-time US PGA Tour winner, shot nine birdies, with a bogey at the par-4 11th his sole blemish.

And he predicted a 20-under total after Sunday's final round would be needed to take the $6.1 million winner's cheque.

"There's good scores out there for sure," he said.

"If you're in the fairway, then you can take on a lot of the pins."

Mexico's Carlos Ortiz and Mito Pereira are firmly in the frame at 12 under, followed by a batch at 11 under including Smith, whose compatriot Matt Jones is 10 under.

Fellow Aussie Marc Leishman slipped in a horror patch of three bogeys in four holes - he finished six under after carding a 71 - while Lucas Herbert rebounded from his first-round one-over to shoot a seven-under 65.

Japan's overnight leader Jinichiro Kozuma failed to cash in on his nine-under opening round, enduring a topsy-turvy time - an eagle, three birdies and four bogeys in his 71.