Patience helps push Day to win and No.-2 ranking
ORLANDO, Fla. — As aggressive as Jason Day looks with a golf club in his hand, his success is geared around patience. That’s what carried him to a one-shot victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and put him on the cusp of returning to No. 1 in the world.
Patience works off the golf course, too.
Of the best three players in the world, Day was the only one to shut it down for the final three months last year. He had another child on the way, but it also was his chance to pace himself for a long year. Even when 2016 rolled round, he played only four times the first 10 weeks.
He didn’t look sharp. He was never in contention. And he never panicked. “Once you get that opportunity — when you do get that opportunity — make sure you take that chance,” Day said.
The opportunity arose at Bay Hill, and Day delivered in a big way.
He was one shot behind Kevin Chappell with two holes remaining when Day hit a 5-iron and watched it land softly enough to roll out to 12 feet for a birdie he felt he simply had to make.
The putt looked even better when Chappell, in the group ahead, drove into the right rough on the 18th hole. He wound up missing a 25-foot par putt, and suddenly Day was in the lead.
With his own shot in the rough, Day had a reasonable enough lie to take it over the water and safely into the bunker. At worst, he would get into a playoff. Day was at his best, however, and from nearly 100 feet away, he blasted out of the sand to four feet for a par to close with 2- under 70 and beat Chappell by one shot.
He won a trophy, a blue blazer, $1.134 million and one other perk even more valuable — a handshake with the 86-year-old tournament host.
“I was able to walk up there and have a special moment with the King,” Day said. “That’s something I always wanted to do.”
Tiger Woods, who won Bay Hill eight times, has become somewhat of a mentor to Day in recent years, and the two exchanged texts throughout the week.
“Traded texts last night and this morning,” Day said. “It’s the same thing ... ‘Just be yourself and stay in your world.’ And for some reason, it just means so much more. It gives me so much confidence that a person like that would believe in me.”
Day moved to No. 2 in the world, close enough that he could surpass Jordan Spieth at the Dell Match Play this week.