Day insists that his failed gamble was a ‘simple shot’

Jason Day has defended the “crazy decision” which cost him a realistic chance to win a second US PGA Championship title at Quail Hollow.

Day was four shots off the lead playing the final hole of his third round when he attempted a highly risky recovery shot around a tree just two yards in front of him.

The former world No 1 succeeded only in sending his ball into bushes, had to take a penalty drop and pitched over more shrubbery into the rough to the right of the fairway.

From there Day came up short of the green and three-putted to card a quadruple-bogey eight, dropping him back to level par and seven behind playing partner Kevin Kisner.

Six-time major winner Nick Faldo said: “That’s one of the craziest decisions I have ever seen a professional make, that second shot. That is his PGA right out of the window with one crazy decision.”

Day declined to speak to the press on Saturday, but after a closing 70 gave him a share of ninth place, seven behind winner Justin Thomas, the Australian insisted: “Nine times out of ten I’ve got that shot. It was a very, very simple shot.

“It was just like a low, bullet hook trying to get it up and around the right side of the green and just chip it up on the green and try to save par.

“Looking back on it, hindsight’s great where you say, ‘Oh, why didn’t you just chip out?’ Chipping out, there’s still water if I go too far, and if I don’t go far enough there’s rough and bunkers.

“I thought I actually had the shot. It just clipped a tree and if it didn’t clip a tree, if it just went over those bushes, we probably make five at worst.

“I’m really good at hitting into the junk, and I’m really good at hitting out of the junk as well.

“That can be an Achilles heel for me because I feel like I can take on a lot of shots that a lot of people can’t. I feel like I’m talented enough to be able to do that. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out for me.”