Jason Day rises to PGA ranking number one after tournament — BMW Championship

Three months ago he was No. 10 on the Official World Golf Ranking. His 16-under 268 was six strokes behind Day.

It would take a special effort from the chasing pack to haul down Day, who is on the brink of becoming Australia’s youngest-ever world number one at the age of 27.

“I felt a lot of pressure over the last two days, especially today just knowing I had a six shot lead“.

“The main goal was to get to number one and we (Day’s team) understood that you had to win consistently and you had to win to get to that number one spot”, he said.

Masters and U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth, Fowler, Henrik Stenson of Sweden and Bubba Watson will also control their fate next week in Atlanta by holding spots in the top five of the points list.

Day admitted Sunday that he was unprepared for the criticism he received then.

It has been a remarkable year for Day, who had threatened for some time to make a major breakthrough. Day has won four of his last six events, including the PGA Championship.

If he wins this morning (Singapore time), he will overtake current top dog Rory McIlroy, who shot 67 to be fourth on 200. Still, with only 29 other players to beat, Day will be the overwhelming favorite.

Matt Jones finished his efforts with a four-under-67 to finish at seven under par, which now is not enough to survive to the Tour Championship next week. If that trend continues, Day would be the first player in PGA Tour history to break 250 for 72 holes and would also own the Tour’s scoring record in relation to par for a 72-hole event (Ernie Els, 31 under in the 2003 Mercedes Championships on the par-73 Plantation Course at Kapalua, Hawaii).

It is the largest 54-hole lead on the US PGA tour this season.

Day finished 22 under ahead of Daniel Berger, with Scott Piercy another stroke adrift at Conway Farms. It is Berger’s second runner up finish of the season, but he entered the playoffs struggling. Now he is No. 1 and by far the hottest golfer on the planet.

With this birdie, Jason Day leads by five with two to play.

Day earned the No. 1 seed at East Lake.

While the pack pursuing the FedEx Cup leader got no closer, there was some reshuffling.

“I knew coming into today I needed to have a solid round to stay in the top 30”, English said on NBC. Rickie Fowler said Day is in a league of his own.

Dustin Johnson (final-round 70), Cameron Tringale (66) and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (66) tied for seventh at 271.

As his career progressed, and Day’s undeniable talent failed to yield a major title, the naysayers gained steam.