Day swings into lead with 63
POTOMAC, Md. — Three years and 364 days since his most recent victory, Jason Day describes himself as “obsessed” with honing his new swing and improving his results, even if he never gets back to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
There wasn’t much room for improvement Thursday, when Day shot a 7-under-par 63 to take the first-round lead at the Wells Fargo Championship. Joel Dahmen was a shot back on what could be the best day for scoring this week at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, with rain, wind and unseasonably cool temperatures in the forecast through Sunday.
“Obviously we’ve got some weather coming in, so I feel like we’re going to go into grind mode over the next few days, which I typically like,” Day said. “It’s going to be difficult.”
The 34-year-old Australian’s most recent win — his 12th on the PGA Tour — came in the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event moved to the Maryland suburbs of Washington this year because its usual venue is hosting the Presidents Cup in September.
Five players were tied for third at 65: Denny McCarthy, Matthew Wolff and PGA Tour rookies Paul Barjon of France and Aaron Rai and Callum Tarren of England.
Chattanooga’s Stephan Jaeger was tied for 17th after a 67, the best opening round among three Baylor School graduates in the field. Luke List (68) was tied for 38th, and Keith Mitchell (69) was tied for 60th.
Day has been working with instructor Chris Como on a swing that will protect his chronically balky back, and he said it feels solid with every club except the driver. Day’s renewed dedication and relative good health
are encouraging signs for a player who won eight times in a 15-month span in 2015-16, including the PGA Championship and the Players Championship.
“I think about the golf swing in the morning, I think about the golf swing during the day, and I think about the golf swing at night,” Day said. “There’s been conversations at 12 at night with Chris just because I have an idea in my head and a certain sensation and a feel.”
Day, who made five of his eight birdies from inside 10 feet, took the lead with a chipin on the par-4 15th hole.
“The thing that’s different between now and when I was No. 1 in the world, even though the technique might not have been as crisp as it is right now, I had all the confidence in the world, especially on the greens. So that’s always the goal,” Day said.
Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy, the top-ranked player in the field at No. 7, had an up-and-down 67. His only big mistake was a tee shot that started too far left and drew into the water on the par-4 fourth, his 13th of the day. A penalty drop and a sloppy chip led to a double bogey, but he rebounded with birdies on the next two holes.
Wolff’s previous two competitive rounds were an 81 and a 78 at the Masters, where the 23-year-old long hitter finished behind every 60-something past champion in the field. He played a casual round at his home club a few days ago and lost every ball in his bag.
Beware the player with nonexistent expectations.
“I can go out and shoot 90 tomorrow, and as long as I have a good attitude, I can put a check mark on this week and say that I’ve grown as a person and as a player, and that’s just all I really care about right now,” Wolff said. “To be honest, it’s funny, but I’m not here to win a golf tournament, I’m here to have a good time.”