Jason Day wins Wells Fargo Championship by two shots after final-round 69
JASON Day captured his second PGA title of 2018 with a two-shot victory at the Wells Fargo Championship.
The 30-year-old former world number one moved up seven places to seventh in the world after finishing on 12 under.
The Australian began the final round two ahead but was level with Aaron Wise on the back nine before pulling away with birdies at the 16th and 17th.
Wise, 21, tied for second with Nick Watney, while Paul Casey and Phil Mickelson shared fifth, five back.
American Bryson DeChambeau holed a meandering 12-foot birdie putt at the last to claim sole possession of fourth place, four behind Day, at Quail Hollow.
Compatriot Watney’s finish in North Carolina was even more spectacular, a remarkable 58-foot birdie putt on the 18th green earning him a share of second place.
Day, who has now won six of the past seven events he has led after three rounds, was comfortably three shots clear when he duffed a chip to bogey the 13th.
When he hooked his tee shot into the water to drop another shot at the next hole, he was level with South African-born Wise, who parred his way in for a 68 and his best finish on the PGA Tour to date.
Day responded superbly, holing from six feet to birdie the 16th then hitting the pin with a seven-iron from 230 yards - which soared 142 feet into the air - at the par-three 17th and tapping in from three feet for the two.
After winning his 12th PGA title, he said: “I had no idea where the ball was going today. Luckily my short game stood the test.”
Casey began with a double bogey but had four birdies in a 71 for his seventh finish inside the top 20 in nine PGA strokeplay events this season.
Mickelson produced a typically entertaining round of 69, which started with consecutive bogeys but featured seven bogeys and three more bogeys, culminating with a par at the last after he chipped out from the rocks in the greenside creek, securing his sixth top-six finish of the season.