Day looking good after pair of 68s

It “annoys” Jason Day “a lot” that he hasn’t played well at the Memorial Tournament the past nine years.

After all, the Westerville resident wants friends and family who have come out to watch him at Muirfield Village Golf Club “yelling in the crowd when you’re in contention.”

They might finally get to do that Sunday.

Day, who has never finished better than tied for 15th here and missed the cut three times, followed up a 4-underpar 68 Thursday with the same score Friday.

He enters the weekend tied for fourth, three shots off the lead, after four birdies on the back nine of his second round.

“I just truly … this is my home course and I’ve just sucked on it for a long time,” Day said. “I don’t think there was any reason why. I just didn’t really play well. But hopefully I can change that, because I feel different this year.”

Day, who shot 67 Jason Day has often struggled at the Memorial, but he enters the weekend just three shots off the lead.

and 70 in the final two rounds last year to produce his best finish here, said he possibly has put more pressure on himself at this tournament than others. Even though he said he doesn’t play here often, “Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, you should play good. It is your home course.’” He conceded that he knows the course well enough to register better rounds than he has in past years.

With two tournament wins already

this year, Day hasn’t pressed the first two days, and that has helped put him in position for a breakthrough.

He said he has committed to increase his concentration on putts — from start to finish — and devoted up to two hours daily to working on that aspect of his game.

“If I can get myself involved in the line … but also have good speed, then I know that I’ve got a really good chance of holing

it,” he said. “And that’s what I feel like right now.”

He started Friday’s round on the 10th hole and birdied Nos. 11 and 12 before bogeying on Nos. 14 and 18. He recovered with four birdies in a span of seven holes on the back nine.

“Overall, very pleased,” Day said. “Nice to be able to get through the front side again 4 under.”