Aussie proves he’s in league of his own
World No. 1 Jason Day wins going away for sixth victory in last 13 starts
AUSTIN, TEXAS— Everyone around him was telling Jason Day to withdraw from the Dell Match Play and not risk further injury to his back. Day knew he was playing well enough to win and wanted to stick it out.
The decision paid off in more ways than he could imagine.
Day returned to No. 1 in the world by making it to Sunday. It felt even sweeter when he beat Rory McIlroy in an epic semifinal, and then beat Louis Oosthuizen in a championship match so one-sided that it might as well have been a victory lap around Austin Country Club.
“I’m glad I didn’t listen,” Day said. “I wanted to win. I wanted to win so bad I felt with how I was playing, if I kept playing the way I was going, I would be holding the trophy at the end of the week. And that’s what kept me going.”
He’s taking that confidence to Au- gusta National next week to start preparations for the Masters, which starts April 7. Coming off a victory last week in the Arnold Palmer Invi- tational, the 28-year-old Australian has won six times in his last 13 starts dating to the PGA Championship.
“It’s been a memorable week, not only to win the Dell Match Play but to get back to No. 1in the world,” Day said.
Day pulled ahead with a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 fourth hole, stretched his lead to 3 up at the turn and was relentless with his power and short game the rest of the way. He closed out Oosthuizen with a wedge to three feet for a conceded birdie on the 14th hole and a 5-and-4 victory.
It was the largest margin for the championship match since it changed to 18 holes in 2011. Tiger Woods beat Stewart Cink, 8 and 7, in 2008 in a 36-hole match.
Oosthuizen, who knocked out Jordan Spieth in the fourth round to pave the way for Day’s return to No.1, won the opening hole with a par in the championship match and that was it. His only birdie was an eightfoot putt on No. 5 after Day had stuffed his wedge from the rough into two feet.
“A top player these days, he always makes that crucial putt when he needs to,” Oosthuizen said.
Day joined Woods and Geoff Ogilvy as the only multiple winners of the Match Play.
Rafa Cabrera Bello of Spain, who lost to Oosthuizen in the other semifinal, won the last three holes to beat McIlroy in the consolation match.