Day races night for some extra rest to help PGA title bid
CHARLOTTE: Jason Day raced nightfall to finish his second round Friday at the PGA Championship and enjoy a long night's sleep, wrapping his arms around top-ranked Dustin Johnson for making it possible.
Seventh-ranked Day, the Australian star who won the 2015 PGA and was runner-up last year, parred the final hole with help from electronic scoreboard lights to fire a five-under par 66 and stand third on six-under 136, two behind co-leaders Hideki Matsuyama and Kevin Kisner.
Thanks to a storm delay of almost two hours, there were 25 players who weren't so lucky and have to return Saturday morning to complete their final holes. But Day isn't among them thanks to some sprinting over the last two holes and Johnson's willingness to race ahead and quickly hit a tee shot at 18, enabling the entire group to finish.
When Day caught up to the lanky American, he gave a hug of pure joy and gratitude.
"On 17 I was off the green. And we were walking up, and we were talking about, 'If we can get a tee shot on 18, we could finish the round.' And DJ is like, 'I'll do it.' And I'm like, 'That's great,'" Day said.
"He ran out there and teed off. As soon as he teed off, you know, we all kind of flushed it down 18. And I just walked up to him and said, 'That's the biggest, most clutch thing I've ever seen anyone do for me.'"
Extra rest and sleep could enable a charge such as Day enjoyed Friday, when he eagled the par-5 seventh and birdied five of the next seven holes. AFP