BMW Championship: Jason Day’s 59 chip, falls short

The big story when play resumed Friday was if Day could finish the first round with a 59.

To be clear, pitching in from light rough 44 yards away is not the same as a putt to hit golf’s magic number. I’ve been injured before and played again. “Then I start thinking about the outcome, instead of just trying to rip my driver as far as possible down the fairway”.

In other news, Jim Furyk withdrew after first round action due a wrist injury.

The Australian world number three backed up his opening 61 with an eight-under 63, including a 43-foot eagle putt at the last, to rocket to 18-under 124 in the third of the PGA Tour’s four FedExCup playoff events.

“He goes, ‘you’ve got to chip it in now for 59, ‘” said Day, who responded, “I’m like ‘what?!'” “That’s kind of the way it feels”.

“But six under is still a good score – a lot of positives to take from it – but I know I’m going to have to shoot a couple of really low ones over the weekend to have a chance”. “I’m just going out there trying to … you asked me this bloody question”.

“Being six under for the round after 14 holes, with a few opportunities coming up, I put myself in a great position”.

The World Challenge invites its defending champion (Spieth), the reigning major champions (Spieth, Zach Johnson and Day) and two sponsor exemptions before completing its elite field with the top available players from the world rankings.

Charley Hull says the Solheim Cup is “just a golf event” and explained she won’t be getting stressed out about the biennial matchplay tournament.

Day entered the BMW having won three of his last five tournaments – the Canadian Open, the PGA Championship and the Barclays, in which he closed 63-62. He began leaning more on them than his own instincts, which ran against how he reached this stage in the first place.

It’s a rather remarkable development on several levels, not the least of which is Day’s play since missing a playoff by 1 stroke at The Open. While Day – and to some extent, Spieth – will play little following next week’s Tour Championship, McIlroy has a good bit of golf left. He chipped in from 80 feet for birdie on the next hole.

Walking to the fourth tee, Spieth pointed at Day and said, “He’s still the clinic”. “I’ve got to look ahead to tomorrow’s round now”. Day is also leading the BMW Championship with the aforementioned opening round 61.

According to Spieth, “really tough” might be an understatement. “You’re asking him THAT?” Day went ten under, while Kevin Na finished in seventh. Quite.

He made nine birdies, an eagle and one bogey in his first round, and added seven more birdies, an eagle and a bogey in his second.

Day holed out from 79 yards in a bunker for eagle on the first hole.

Spieth ended 5 under through 17 holes.