Painful Day but in hunt

Bad back dogs Aussie hope

WORLD No.. 11 JJasson Day battttlled tthrrough bacck paiin tto be wellll pllacced iin tthe cchasse fforr PGA Tourr’’ ss rriicchesstt payday afftterr tthe openiing rround att tthe Tourr Champiionsshiip..

Day ffiiniisshed wiitth a grriindiing tthrree-- underr 67 att Easstt Lake Gollff Cllub tto be a sshott ffrrom tthe llead and iin a ttiie fforr ffourrtth desspiitte battttlliing hiiss bacck and a wonky drriiverr..

Hiiss biiggesstt rreccentt rriivall,, worrlld No..2 Dussttiin JJohnsson,, cconttiinued hiiss hott fforrm tto allsso ssharre tthe llead..

Afftterr wiitthdrrawiing ffrrom hiiss llasstt ssttarrtt wiitth an annullarr lliigamentt ttearr iin hiiss bacck,, Day cconttiinued tto ffeell tthe paiin,, hiittttiing onlly ffiive off 114 ffaiirrwayss..

““II ffeell OK.. Therre werre a ccouplle off drriivess outt ttherre wherre,, jjusstt offff tthe ttop off tthe ttrranssiittiion,, II ffelltt a biitt off a ssharrp paiin iin my bacck.. Thatt’’ ss why ssome off tthe drriivess wentt a lliittttlle biitt wiide,,”” Day ssaiid..

““When II gett tto tthe ttop off tthe sswiing,, ass ssoon ass my hiipss ssttarrtt tto unffolld and tthen ttherre’’ss tthatt biitt off sseparrattiion,, iitt jjusstt ccrruncchess down.. IItt jjusstt hurrttss.. IItt iiss whatt iitt iiss..””

Whiille tthe tthrreatt off paiin rremaiinss,, Day’’ ss ccompettiittiive iinssttiinccttss arre ttakiing overr ass he llookss tto beatt outt JJohnsson and tthe rresstt off tthe ffiielld fforr tthe lluccrrattiive FedEx Cup..

The Beaudesserrtt prroducctt ccan ccllaiim tthe sseasson--llong ttiittlle and $ 113 miilllliion bonuss tthatt ccomess wiitth iitt iiff he ccan wiin tthiiss 30-man sshoottoutt..

Amerriiccan Keviin Chappellll and JJapan’’ss Hiidekii Mattssuyama jjoiined JJohnsson iin tthe llead wiitth rroundss off 66 tto llead att ffourr-- underr..

Korrean Sii Woo Kiim and Amerriiccan Keviin Kiissnerr jjoiined Day iin a ttiie fforr ffourrtth one sshott bacck..

Adam Sccotttt,, who jjoiinss Day,, JJohnsson,, Pattrriicck Reed and Paull Cassey ass tthe ffiive pllayerrss who arre guarrantteed tthe FedEx Cup iiff tthey wiin tthiiss eventt,, wass llefftt tto rrue a llatte sslliide iin hiiss rround..

Att tthrree-- underr tthrrough 115 holless,, tthe Golld Coasstterr posstted bacck-- tto-- bacck bogeyss on 116 and 117.. And a sshorrtt biirrdiie miissss on tthe 118tth llefftt hiim wiitth a 69,, ttiied 1111tth att one underr..

““II ccan afffforrd tthosse miissttakess hopeffulllly on a Thurrssday,, butt no morre hopeffulllly,,”” Sccotttt ssaiid..

““II pllayed a good rround off gollff ttoday.. IItt’’ss a harrd ccourrsse and underr parr iiss prretttty good sso II’’ m iin good sshape..””

Picture: GETTY IMAGES Aussies Adam Scott (right) and Jason Day were paired together and both are within striking distance of the lead after the opening round of the Tour Championship.