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Jason Day sheds “best player without a major” title

Published

9 years ago

Aug 16, 2015

The tag “best player without a major” is a favorite one to use, and Jason Day was the most-fitting wearer of that cloak, until today. With an enviable performance of Hoganesque consistency, the Australian earned the major championship that had been achingly close at Augusta, Tacoma, St. Andrews and other venues over the course of his career.

Midway through the front nine, after the eventual champion knocked a side-door birdie in on the fifth hole, his closest pursuer whispered to his caddie “He’s on today.” When Jordan Spieth acknowledges that you’re on, that’s saying something. Although viewers and fans couldn’t tell, Day was fighting to preserve that focus.

“YEAH, THERE WERE PLENTY OF TIMES WHEN I GOT OUT OF IT,” DAY SAID. “MORE SO JUST THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE, ESPECIALLY ON THE BACK SIDE THERE WERE A FEW TIMES WHERE I HAD TO PULL MYSELF BACK IN AND SAY IT’S NOT OVER, YOU’VE GOT TO KEEP GRINDING, KEEP FIGHTING.”

One golfer posted four rounds in the 60s during PGA Whistling Straits: Season Three. That was Day, who never looked nervous and never looked threatened. Come tomorrow, club golfers around the world will close their eyes and visualize shots before address, just as Day did all week long, under the fierce microscope of a Grand Slam event.

Over the four championship rounds, Day recorded 25 birdies and two eagles. On the day (Saturday) when he made his greatest number of mistakes (two bogeys and a double), the Aussie scribbled eight birds and an eagle on his card. Day dominated the tricky, relentless Straits course like no competitor ever has. Even though Spieth was a mere three strokes in arrears, he and the rest of the field seemed to be on a different set of fairways all week long.

Icing on Day’s PGA Championship cake was the all-time record for score in relation to par. Day’s 20-under total eclipsed Tiger Woods’ number from the 2000 British Open by one slim putt. Day was proud to accept the mantel, if only for a time.

“THERE’S BEEN SUCH AMAZING GOLFERS, ESPECIALLY THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF GOLF, OUR SPORT, AND TO HAVE THAT RECORD JUST GOES TO SHOW THE WORK I’VE PUT IN IS PAYING OFF,” DAY SAID.

The victory was Day’s third of the season, following wins at the Farmer’s in San Diego and the Canadian Open in Toronto. Day moved into 4th place in the FedEx Cup standings, earning 600 points to bump his season total to 2,459. The victory in Wisconsin makes Day the first Australian to win a major since Adam Scott at The Masters in 2013, and the first from Oz to win the PGA since Steve Elkington at Riviera in 1995.

In retrospect, the only moment on Sunday when the champion appeared remotely mortal happened on the ninth hole, where he chunked his approach. Day admitted

“THAT WAS JUST A TERRIBLE SHOT THAT HAPPENED AT THE WRONG TIME,” DAY SAID. “AND BEING ABLE TO GET UP AND DOWN DEFINITELY HELPED TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING.”

With Branden Grace, Spieth and others poised to pounce on any mistake, Day’s composure saved the day as front turned to back nine. The greatest compliments came from the two-time major winner and two-time major top-five finisher Spieth, who synthesized what the field felt about Day in these words:

“TYPICALLY IN A MAJOR YOU’RE LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY IN JASON’S POSITION TO MISS A COUPLE OF SHOTS AND JUST FEEL THE NERVES OF HIS OWN,” SPIETH SAID. “AND HE WENT ABOUT IT LIKE A SEASONED VETERAN, IT WAS ALMOST LIKE IT WAS HIS FIFTH OR SIXTH MAJOR…I WAS AMAZED THAT HE KEPT PULLING DRIVER AND KEPT HITTING IT IN THE TIGHT ZONES…EACH TIME HE STOOD AND TOOK IT BACK, I HAD HOPE. AND EACH TIME AFTER IT CAME OFF THE FACE THE HOPE WAS LOST.”

Hats off to Jason Day.

See the clubs Jason Day used to win the PGA Championship

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Ronald Montesano

Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

42 Comments

Richard

Aug 20, 2015 at 2:16 pm

Hats off to Jason Day. He deserves it. As a side note, there is a mistake in the article. It mentions “The British Open”. No such tournement exists.

Reply Report comment
- ABgolfer2
  
  Sep 14, 2015 at 6:35 pm
  
  Boo Richard.
  
  Reply Report comment
marcel

Aug 18, 2015 at 11:39 pm

Jason – so long coming, knocking – kicking on the door – this is how you do it!!! Great golf man!!! and they asked him if he wanted to trade consistency for 1 major win… haha great golf – Jordan what a push!!!

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 19, 2015 at 7:04 am
  
  “They/We” have to ask questions! Sometimes they’re not the best ones, but the answers are always worth the effort.
  
  Reply Report comment
Ballstrikka

Aug 17, 2015 at 10:33 pm

Gub with a nice zinger! That’s pretty good.

Reply Report comment
Jm

Aug 17, 2015 at 8:02 pm

True about DJ giving away majors but I still believe before this week his record on the PGA tour was far superior to Day’s. Especially in the victory category.

And Day’s accuracy off the tee, or lack thereof, is typically as bad as DJ’s wedge game

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 18, 2015 at 6:47 am
  
  Very good points. That’s why the mythic title of BPWAM is never written in stone. DJ might stand alone atop that roll call now.
  
  Reply Report comment
Jon

Aug 17, 2015 at 7:09 pm

It was very nice to see the emotion pour out of Day at the end of a grinding close-but-no-cigar year. Yeah, it’s nice to see the smooth, consistent swings of Spieth, Rose, etc, but it gives me tingles to see Jason pulverize the the core out of golf balls. Congratulations.

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 18, 2015 at 6:48 am
  
  I’d like to know what their driver swing speeds are, Jon. It may appear that Jason is pulverizing the ball, but I suspect that his driver speed is similar to the other two you mentioned, and that he gives off an appearance of decimating the orb. He is as smooth as the others, methinks.
  
  Thanks for your enthusiasm.
  
  RM
  
  Reply Report comment
Gubment Cheeze

Aug 17, 2015 at 1:38 pm

I don’t know who “the best player without a major” is but I know who “the worst player with 14 majors” is

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 17, 2015 at 2:59 pm
  
  Thank you.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Gubment Cheeze
    
    Aug 17, 2015 at 3:49 pm
    
    someone had to say it
    
    Reply Report comment
Scooter McGavin

Aug 17, 2015 at 1:06 pm

I think what impressed me most was Jason’s ability to keep his hot streak going even after a few bumps on the back 9 of the 3rd round. It can be easy to fizzle after something like that, but he got right back on the horse and kept charging. Well done.

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 17, 2015 at 2:58 pm
  
  That was the difference between his performance and those who don’t succeed in major competition. Day three is the graveyard of hopefuls. I cannot get over DJs comeback from the quad. No one watching expected him to break 80 and he ended up shooting 69.
  
  Reply Report comment
Alex T

Aug 17, 2015 at 12:32 pm

It’s interesting to hear Day described as “Hogan-esque”. It seems that there’s been lots of talk about Hogan these last few weeks and I think it’s because, right now, professional golf is in a state of transit between eras. There are no more Hogans. No more Tigers. The media is desperate to label the next Hogan or Tiger (or Jack, for that matter) but they can’t because no one (yet) has proven that level of dominance over the exceptional field we have at the moment. And yet they keep grasping for a poster boy. Last year it was Rory. This year it was Jordan. This week it’s Day. I honestly believe that the current level of professionalism and athletic dedication in golf all but rules out anyone dominating the game like Tiger or Ben ever did. The field is too good. I think that while Spieth/McIlroy has the potential making of a Tiger/Mickelson or Jack/Arnie battle for the ages type feel, I honestly believe that if Jordan couldn’t complete the slam this year then it can’t be done; at least not right now and not against this field. There’s too many great players. And yes, I understand that the original likening of Day to Hogan was in reference to his Final Round ball striking, but I still find it funny how often Hogan is brought up. Good article.

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 17, 2015 at 12:41 pm
  
  Alex T,
  
  I’ll elaborate on my decision to use that adjective. I wanted to leave it up to the imagination of the reader to interpret it her/his way. My inspiration was the trance-like state that Day would access prior to each and every shot. His visualization skills were on level with those of Ben Hogan for the entire tournament, even if a few shots got away from him. I don’t pretend to equate Hogan with dominance (he had a great career record, but he never dominated the way Tiger did, with the exception of 1953.)
  
  Does that sit well with you?
  
  When Tiger came in, no one expected his dominance. You had Phil, Nick, Payne, Greg, other Nick and a bunch of youngsters in the mix. Tiger simply took it from them. Golf might ebb a bit for a time, but then again, it might not. A dominant one might emerge soon.
  
  Reply Report comment
Jay

Aug 17, 2015 at 8:26 am

“Come tomorrow, club golfers around the world will close their eyes and visualize shots before address”

Well – that will speed todays round up……

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 17, 2015 at 10:12 am
  
  Didn’t say it would, Jay. I was surprised that no one commented on how long he takes. He is so consistent, but you are correct in your assertion. How much of what professionals encourage us to do would slow golf down and how much would it speed things up?
  
  Reply Report comment
jakeanderson

Aug 17, 2015 at 2:35 am

what a brilliant victory for day! i feel vindicated now that he has accepted my advice to win a major instead of this canadian tournament, that he won apparently earlier in the year. great stuff!

what a poor attitude from his opponent spieth – to hope that anothter player fails. really shows is character.

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 17, 2015 at 10:14 am
  
  Can you get us a quote on Spieth, Jake? I don’t understand your reference and would like to.
  
  As a neighbor to Canada, I value their Open championship and Day did too. He spoke of the love and warmth he felt there, as a citizen of the world (unlike many of us jingoistic USAmericans) and cannot wait to defend that title. If you were tongue in cheek, jokes on me.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - jakeanderson
    
    Aug 17, 2015 at 1:32 pm
    
    let me take the quote from the article:
    
    “TYPICALLY IN A MAJOR YOU’RE LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY IN JASON’S POSITION TO MISS A COUPLE OF SHOTS AND JUST FEEL THE NERVES OF HIS OWN,” SPIETH SAID. […] “EACH TIME HE STOOD AND TOOK IT BACK, I HAD HOPE. AND EACH TIME AFTER IT CAME OFF THE FACE THE HOPE WAS LOST.”
    
    very poor form to look for someone to miss a couple of shots and hope for mishits of an opponent, instead of focusing on playing good golf.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Ronald Montesano
      
      Aug 17, 2015 at 3:30 pm
      
      The way I read it is, Day was playing so well that Spieth realized he could not make enough birdies on his own. I do understand your disdain for someone who pulls against someone else. I know that when I coach a high school match against a kid who is firing on all cylinders, I think to myself “another one flush? come on, kid, give us some hope!”
      
      Reply Report comment
Ballstrikka

Aug 17, 2015 at 1:35 am

Congrats Jason, well played!

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 17, 2015 at 10:14 am
  
  Congrats, Ballstrikka, succinctly written!!
  
  Keep commenting.
  
  RM
  
  Reply Report comment
Ballstrikka

Aug 17, 2015 at 1:33 am

Amazing to me how the channel that covers golf is more obsessed with Speef, yeah I wrote Speef, becoming World #1 than Jason Day winning the major! Unbelievable! Speef this and Speef that, top finish in this and that, Eldrick, Speef, Eldrick, Speef!! Ridiculous! I might also point out how lukewarm the crowd’s reception was as the eventual champion marched up the 18th. Speaking of the sports channel with 4 letters, same thing, 3rd story down the page. Top story, Speef World #1.
So done with the nonsense.

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 17, 2015 at 6:26 am
  
  That’s too bad. Focus should be on Jason.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Philip
  
  Aug 17, 2015 at 9:34 am
  
  Society needs “one” hero to worship – always have. Once that person has been selected, they become the focus, whether sports, music, movies, business – everyone else becomes a hindrance to their hero ascending the throne of greatness. Been going on for a few thousand years (or longer), you can see examples throughout history.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Ronald Montesano
    
    Aug 17, 2015 at 10:23 am
    
    “The Golden Child syndrome, huh? Good point. He has been christened and we shall revere him.”
    
    Oh my goodness. I just woke up. Was that a dream? I’m sweating.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Pat M
  
  Aug 17, 2015 at 10:17 am
  
  Spieth haters gonna hate. Jim Nantz is so annoying. Great win by Jason Day and he is a great guy. Jordan Spieth came very close to winning all 4 majors which is incredible. If he was one shot better he was in The Open playoff. A few putts dropping and he may have beaten Jason.
  
  As far as Tiger, it’s over. He will never be able to play like Day or Spieth again. He is #300 in the world and dropping. It’s over.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Golf Fan
  
  Aug 17, 2015 at 3:00 pm
  
  Hats off to Spieth for being such a gracious competitor. What a wonderful person when he gave that thumbs up. Let’s go back and watch that thumbs up again in slow motion.
  
  Who won again?
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Ronald Montesano
    
    Aug 17, 2015 at 3:31 pm
    
    Guys get it wrong, Golf Fan. I’ve yet to read anything negative about Jason today, and a lot of articles are gracing the non-sports pages of sites, applauding Jason’s performance.
    
    Reply Report comment
JuNiOR

Aug 16, 2015 at 11:29 pm

“Best player without a major” pardon me but when did Sergio Garcia lose the deed to that?

Reply Report comment
- Jeff
  
  Aug 16, 2015 at 11:37 pm
  
  I think the way they were currently playing, you’d have to give J. Day the nod, prior to breaking through, over Sergio. But it does bring up an interesting question of who it is now. Johnson, Fowler, Sergio, Stenson, Kuchar
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Ronald Montesano
    
    Aug 17, 2015 at 6:25 am
    
    Jeff, you offer an interesting list. I believe that Sergio, Kuchar, and others past a certain age are done. They have too many battle scars, too many memories of what might have been. Once in that rare blue moon do you get a Darren Clarke or a Stewart Cink breaking through late in a career, but it takes incredible serendipity for it to happen.
    
    Johnson? Wow, talk about what might have been. Eliminate the quad AND keep his composure, and he figures into the outcome. Fowler needs to do something next year, or he’ll close in on the battle-scarred (although Day sure took his lumps before breaking through.) Stenson? Interesting call. He lights up at lesser events and makes us think he has what it takes for a major, but does he have the composure to do so? I’m not certain that he does. Just one pundit’s opinion.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Daniel
      
      Aug 17, 2015 at 9:12 am
      
      “Stenson? Interesting call. He lights up at lesser events and makes us think he has what it takes for a major, but does he have the composure to do so? I’m not certain that he does. Just one pundit’s opinion.”
      
      Wow Ronald, I know this is an american site focusing on american golfers and that there is a lot of nonsense written on this site. But, I didn’t expect the above opinion from a golfwrx writer that calls himself a pundit.
      
      Stenson has won
      The Players (some of you refer to this event as the “5:th major”)
      WGC event
      PGA Tour Championship (along with the FedEx Cup title)
      2 x DP World Tour Championship (along with one Race to Dubai title) (This is the European tour final event so I put it last since you probably does not recognize it as a feat)
      
      The only thing Stenson is missing on his resume is a major title. Currently he has been 2:nd in The Open, 3:rd in PGA Championship, T4 in US Open and T14 in US Masters.
      
      In my non-expert opinion it looks like Stenson has the composure to win a major title but that he lacks some putting skills which he has been working very hard on lately.
      
      Maybe Stenson will win a major and maybe he will not. If it is your job to upset people by writing nonsense for this site please accept my apology.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Ronald Montesano
        
        Aug 17, 2015 at 10:17 am
        
        Daniel, I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to comment here. I always hope to have well-thought counter arguments to my brand of logic and yours is one of them, so thank you.
        
        I put Stenson in the same kettle as Donald, Monty, Westwood, Garcia, Fowler, Haas and Kuchar. They are or were close but we know how agonizingly distant that closeness is from closure. Why did Micheel, Weir, Furyk and Cink win one major and no more, in recent years? Who can say, but they did.
        
        I hope that you consider what I wrote to be “some sense” as opposed to “nonsense.” I also hope that you will continue to comment and keep my writing honest!!
        
        RM
        
        Reply Report comment
- dapadre
  
  Aug 17, 2015 at 5:29 am
  
  I agree. I can name a hand full that fit the description better than Day ( Luke Donald, Westwood, D. Johnson, Garcia, Stenson). Day is part of the new era and I think it would be too easy and quick and easy to already place that title on them.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Ronald Montesano
    
    Aug 17, 2015 at 12:45 pm
    
    dapadre,
    
    I separate those non-major winners into two groups: those who haven’t but might, apart from those who haven’t and probably won’t ever.
    
    Donald, Garcia, Westwood occupy the later category. Great careers, but will not reach the next plateau. Kuchar and Johnson are knocking on the door of this one. If Fowler doesn’t win one in 2016, he’ll stand with them. I know that they are all young, but they are throwing chances away.
    When Rory truly returns to full strength in 2016, he will remind us of what a player he is. Spieth should continue and if Day strengthens, the field will have at least three proven, hungry winners to contend with in every major.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 17, 2015 at 3:37 pm
  
  When he stopped contending in tournaments. He has been in the mix this year as often as Lee Westwood. That’s my perspective, JuNiOR
  
  Reply Report comment
Jm

Aug 16, 2015 at 10:15 pm

Good article but I think almost everyone would agree that before this week hardly anyone considered Day the best player without a major. That title in my opinion belongs to DJ. Before today DJ had more than twice as many wins as Day in almost the same number of tournaments.

I get that there is a need to put up headlines to get people to the site but where are the articles before this week proclaiming him to be the best player without a major?

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 17, 2015 at 10:21 am
  
  Jm.
  
  I recognize that DJ might have received as many or more votes for the despised title. I don’t recall Jason Day giving away majors as DJ has. Instead, I believe that others rose up and took them from him, like Schwartzel did at the Masters a few years back.
  
  I wrote on social media this week that DJ might have the worst wedge game/wedge thought process of any elite player out there. I don’t know what goes on in his head when he hits wedges to greens, but we saw him execute poorly in round three at St. Andrews and again at WS. Then, when the pressure is off after the quad, he goes on a tear and birdies six/eagles two of the next 15 holes. He’s kind of like lightning, a power difficult to harness but potent when you do.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jm
    
    Aug 17, 2015 at 8:09 pm
    
    True about DJ giving away majors but I still believe before this week his record on the PGA tour was far superior to Day’s. Especially in the victory category.
    And Day’s accuracy off the tee, or lack thereof, is typically as bad as DJ’s wedge game
    
    Reply Report comment

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