Old Day is dawning
Torrey Pines triumph has focus back on No.1
QUEENSLANDER Jason Day says he felt his world No.1 form returning during his drought-breaking US PGA Tour victory at Torrey Pines yesterday.
Day, 30, finished off Sweden’s Alex Noren on the sixth playoff hole at the Farmers Insurance Open to claim his first win worldwide since the 2016 Players Championship.
When darkness suspended the playoff the previous evening, officials scheduled the first fifth-day finish at the famed San Diego course since Tiger Woods triumphed in an 18-hole playoff at the 2008 US Open.
Returning to the par-five 18th, Day hit a sublime wedge and tapped in for birdie to defeat world No.19 Noren, who went for the green in two but rinsed his second shot en route to a bogey.
After losing his 47-week hold on the world No.1 ranking to Dustin Johnson last February, Day says his 11th PGA Tour victory marks the return of his 2015 form.
He rises four places from No.14 to return to the top 10 after the win.
“It felt like it was coming back, I think more the mental side of my game; the drive to get back to No.1 and the desire to win was definitely there this week,” Day said.
In 2015, Day won at Torrey Pines in a playoff before recording another four wins on the US Tour and rocketing to a maiden stint as world No.1.
“The hunger to win every event is what I had as the No.1 player and last year I lost that a little, but this year is a totally different feeling and to have that again is really pleasing,” Day said.
Winless at the majors since breaking through at the 2015 US PGA Championship, Day says he is confident of bagging a second big one.
He closed the final round with a 70 for a 10-under total.
Next best of the Australians was Marc Leishman, who fell to six-under after carding a 73.