Jordan Spieth gets No. 1 ranking with PGA runnerup spot

What it means: One of the most talented players in the game, Day had experienced nothing but frustration in seeking his first major.

Day won his first ever tournament aged 13-years-old, winning the 2000 Australian Masters junior event on the Gold Coast.

“I could tell that (Spieth) was the favourite, which makes this all the more special, ” the Queenslander said.

Before receiving the trophy, he spoke about how special the victory was.

“Winning two majors, winning a couple other times this year, had a chance at The Open, has a chance obviously today”. Not this time. And Day remained steady. After a birdie on No. 3, he pulled his drive into a sloped bunker on No. 4 and made bogey.

“I’m very pleased with how I’m putting”, Day said. I felt no one was going to stop me today. Now 22, he is the sport’s biggest attraction, at a time when Tiger Woods’s game is in ruins and Phil Mickelson is fading.

The 27-year-old Australian, who had previously recorded nine top-10 finishes in the majors – six of them in the top four – had to wipe tears from his eyes before he tapped in a one-foot putt for par on the 18th green. Spieth is the 18th player, and fifth American, to reach No. 1 since the world ranking began in 1986. By closing with a 68, he set a record by playing the four majors in 54-under par, breaking by one the mark that Woods set in 2000. “He played like a champion and he fully deserved this win“.

Rory McIlroy paid a gracious tribute to Jordan Spieth after the Texan superstar took over as world No 1 following the 97th PGA Championship.

Branden Grace finished alone in third at 15-under, one stroke ahead of Justin Rose.

He said it didn’t hamper his play and won’t be a hindrance going forward.

Day is the 2015 PGA Championship victor, finally getting a key to the major championship winners club, and deservedly so. That’s Spieth’s consolation. And really, he had plenty of that as he left Whistling Straits.

When caddie and coach Swatton met a 12-year-old Day the pair got into a yelling match of epic proportions, swearing at volume in front of others and going the full hammer and tong. No player in the modern era had held the 54-hole lead or co-lead in three straight majors and not won any of them. “I still want to accomplish that No1 goal of mine, which is to be the best player in the world”.

“Just to be able to play the way I did and finish the way I did was just awesome”.

“It would have been hard to shoot 8 under and go 15 under for the weekend”, said Spieth, who worked his way into the mix by shooting 30 on the back nine Saturday.

Spieth stormed home with six birdies in the final eight holes to move into second place at 13-under 203 and earn a spot in the final pairing with Day on Sunday.

Spieth started the day trailing Day by two and ended up losing by three.

Day certainly wasn’t seeing double with his putter in hand this morning.

Jason Day had 233 yards to the hole on his second shot on the par-5 16th.

The Beaudesert product offered confident and upbeat answers to everything the hungry press pack threw at him after shooting a marvellous 66 today, Spieth shooting the lights out with a seven-under 65.

Day’s first major victory comes just 59 days after he collapsed on the Chambers Bay course at the US Open, initially reporting “dizzy spells” but actually suffering from a condition later diagnosed as vertigo linked to a viral ear infection. “And each time after it came off the face, the hope was lost”.