Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Jason Day captures Wells Fargo for second victory of the season.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jason

Day fought through some wayward tee shots and his own selfdoubt to shoot a 2-under 69 on Sunday and win the Wells Fargo Championsh­ip by two strokes over Aaron Wise and Nick

Watney, his second victory of the season.

After squanderin­g a three-shot lead on the back nine, Day’s tee shot on the difficult 230-yard par3 17th hole crashed into the pin and settled less than 3 feet away. He made the putt to take a twoshot lead, becoming the only player to birdie the hole in the final round.

Day finished at 12-under 272. “One of the best wins I have ever had,” according to Day, who said he never felt on top of his game Sunday.

He missed more than half the fairways — including an ugly hook into the water on the par-4 14th — hit just eight greens in regulation and made four bogeys on the day. But he toughed it out on the final three holes at Quail Hollow nicknamed the “Green Mile,” playing them in 2 under.

Day fell back into a tie with Wise after back-to-back bogeys on 13 and 14, but regained the lead by draining a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th. That set up the shot of the tournament on the 17th, a hole with water short, left and long of the green that gave players fits all day because the putting surface was so firm that it was tough to stop the ball.

Day caught his break when the ball bounced four times and hit the flagstick , drawing a huge roar from the crowd.

Day, who has had troubles with the closing hole in the past, then hit an iron off the 18th tee, knowing he had a two-shot lead. He got up-and-down from the rough right of the green to finish with a par.

Wise, 21, had the best finish of his career. He was alone in second before Watney drained a 59-foot putt on the 18th.

Phil Mickelson opened with two bogeys, failing to capitalize on the momentum from his thirdround 64. Mickelson started firing at flags and made six birdies, but finished five shots back after a 69.

Rory McIlroy concluded an up-and-down week with a 71 to finish at 3 under. Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas were one shot behind him.

Tiger Woods was a non-factor, shooting 74 to finish 14 shots back. He failed to make a birdie in the final round of a tournament for the first time since 2014.

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