Day ‘obsessed’ with new swing, leads Wells Fargo
Three years and 364 days since his last victory, Jason Day describes himself as “obsessed” with honing his new swing and improving his results, even if he never gets back to No. 1 in the world.
There wasn’t much room for improvement Thursday as Day shot a 7-under 63 to take the first-round lead at the Wells Fargo Championship. Joel Dahmen was a shot back at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.
The 34-year-old Day has been working with instructor Chris Como on a swing that will protect his chronically balky back, and he says it feels solid with every club except the driver. His renewed dedication and relative good health are encouraging signs from a player who won eight times in a 15-month span in 2015-16, including the PGA Championship and the Players Championship.
Day’s last win came in this tournament at Quail Hollow. The Wells Fargo moved to the Maryland suburbs of Washington this year because its usual venue is hosting the Presidents Cup in September.
The International team at that event would surely welcome a resurgent Day, who made five of his eight birdies from inside 10 feet on Thursday. The Australian took the lead with a chip-in on the par-4 15th hole.
Matthew Wolff, local favorite Denny McCarthy and PGA Tour rookies Aaron Rai, Callum Tarren and Paul Barjon were two shots back. Rory McIlroy, the top-ranked player in the field at No. 7, had an up-and-down 67.
Brooks suspended for Game 3 vs. Warriors
Memphis Grizzlies star Dillon Brooks was suspended for one game without pay by the NBA on Thursday for making “unnecessary and excessive contact” that resulted in a fractured elbow for Golden State’s Gary Payton II in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Brooks must sit out Saturday’s Game 3 with the bestof-seven series shifting to San Francisco tied at one game apiece. Payton is wearing a brace and will be sidelined indefinitely, said coach Steve Kerr, who has called the play dirty.
Payton was injured in the first quarter of Golden State’s 106-101 loss Tuesday night when Brooks hit him across the head and the guard fell awkwardly on his left arm after driving for a layup. Brooks received a Flagrant 2 foul and was ejected.
The Warriors said Payton also sustained ligament and muscle damage on the play that Kerr said “broke the code” of NBA conduct. Payton underwent an MRI exam in the Bay Area on Wednesday and will be reevaluated in two weeks.
Roma reaches Europa Cup final
Gesticulating on the touchline in a black vest and a gray hooded sweatshirt, José Mourinho could have easily been mistaken for one of the 70,000 fans inside the Stadio Olimpico.
The outspoken Portuguese coach had told Roma supporters before the Europa Conference League semifinal that they shouldn’t come to the stadium just “to watch” the game but rather “to play” it.
Well, the fans did their part by creating a loud, suffocating atmosphere for 90 minutes and Mourinho did his job by directing Roma to a 1-0 win (2-1 on aggregate) over Leicester on Thursday and a spot in the final.
It will mark the fifth European final of Mourinho’s career — and he has won all four that he’s coached in so far — over a span of nearly two decades: the 2003 UEFA Cup and 2004 Champions League finals with Porto; the 2010 Champions League final with Inter Milan; and the 2017 Europa League final with Manchester United.