Day triumphs by 2 for Wells Fargo title
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jason Day channeled his inner LeBron James and captured his second PGA Tour event of the season, drawing inspiration from James’ Game 3 buzzerbeater against the Toronto Raptors before he pulled off his own clutch shot on Sunday.
Leading by a stroke, Day’s 7-iron hit the flagstick on the 230-yard, par-3 17th hole, setting up a 3-foot birdie putt and a two-shot victory over Aaron Wise and Nick Watney at the Wells Fargo Championship.
“That is what I am most happy about,” Day said. “When you are on call to do something good and you pull it off, to be clutch like that, with a lot of heart. I’m glad I watched LeBron James.”
The 30-year-old Australian — an Ohio resident who can be found courtside at Cavaliers games — fought through some wayward tee shots and self-doubt to shoot a 2-under 69 on Sunday. He finished at 12-under 272.
“One of the best wins I have ever had,” said Day, who never felt on top of his game on 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, squandering a three-shot lead on the back nine. But he toughed it out on the final three holes at Quail Hollow nicknamed the “Green Mile,” playing them in 2-under.
Day caught his biggest break on 17, where the ball bounced four times and was moving fast when it hit the pin, drawing a huge roar from the crowd.
It came on 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.
“Things like that are what you need to win tournaments,” Day said.
Day, who has had trouble with the closing hole in the past, then had the luxury of hitting an iron off the 18th tee, knowing he had a twoshot lead. He got up-anddown from the rough right of the green to finish with a par.
“You play sit there and play mental games with yourself, subconsciously saying, ‘You can’t do this. You’re going to fail, you’re going to fail,’ ” Day said. “I just kept on saying to myself, ‘Forget about it and keep pushing.’ ”
It was the Day’s 12th career win on the PGA Tour. The former world No. 1 also won the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year after a winless 2017.
The win elevated him from 14th in the world to No. 7, and Day said this is a “step in the right direction” toward regaining the top spot as the world’s best gather for the Players Championship this coming week in Ponte Vedra Beach.
THE COLONY, Texas — Sung Hyun Park sprinted to the finish in the weatherabbreviated LPGA Texas Classic on Sunday, chipping in for birdie from the behind the green on the 18th hole to close out a 5-under 66 in the second and final round, good for a one-shot victory.
Park finished with a tworound total of 11-under 131 for her third victory and first since last season when she was named rookie of the year.
THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Bernhard Langer won his first PGA Tour Champions event of the year when he saved par on the final hole for a 2-under 70 and a one-shot victory in the Insperity Invitational. Langer had to rally from as many as four shots behind in the final round at the TPC Woodlands.
He birdied two straight holes around the turn, added birdies on both par 5s on the back nine and then had to scramble for par.