World No. 1 Day sizzles and fizzles

WORLD number one Jason Day sizzled on the front nine and fizzled on the back side in the opening round and in the end he was satisfied with his start.

The 28-year-old Australian fired an eagle and three birdies on the front nine to make the turn at five-under 31, one shot off the lead, only to sandwich a triple-bogey disaster at the par-three 16th between two bogeys to finish on level par 72, six strokes back of second-ranked defending champion Jordan Spieth and sharing 21st.

“I felt like I played great and I’m not frustrated with how it all happened and how it unfolded at the end,” Day said.

“I’m not saying I don’t care, but I’ve got to move on from now and you can’t dwell on the past. I have to keep plodding and pushing forward.”

After winning at Bay Hill and the World Golf Championships Match Play last month and six times in all over his past 13 starts, Day is hoping for a bit less plodding and a lot more forward.

“If I went 41 on the front side and 31 on the backside, I’d be just celebrating,” Day said. “It’s just a number. I’ve got to understand that the next two days are going to be very difficult with the wind conditions.

“I’ve just got to slowly try to inch my way back into this tournament if I can, be patient with myself and hopefully I’m there by Sunday.

“It’s a Major championship. Things happen. And unfortunately it happened at the wrong time. But I’ve got to move on and push forward.”

Day, who won his first Major title at last year’s PGA Championship, hopes to win back-to-back Majors and collect the Green Jacket that has seemed within reach since his runner-up debut in 2011 with a thirdplace effort in 2013.

“It’s very hard to keep pushing forward at the rate that Jordan did,” Day said.

“I don’t see the scoring going low, low, again over the next two days. I’ve just got to get past this day and start focusing on tomorrow.”

Day missed a two-foot par putt at the par-five 15th, found the water at 16 and missed another short putt and missed the green long with his approach at 17.

“I’m not too frustrated with how everything went,” Day said.

“Yeah, it’s not the way I planned it out, but I played some really good golf up until then.

“If you get yourself out of position at this course it’s very difficult to salvage par. And unfortunately starting 15 I got myself out of position pretty good.

“There was only four bad holes, really, in amongst some really terrific golf.” — AFP