Beware the wounded Jason Day
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 Deutsche Bank Championship | Round Two | 05 Sep 2010
Jason Day’s outstanding recent run of form continued today when he added a second round of 67 to share the lead at the halfway stage of the Deutsche Bank Championship at the TPC of Boston.
After a 63 in Friday’s opening round, Day continued where he left off with two quick birdies in round two but he would wait another 15 holes before birdies at the 17th and 18th saw him join Brandt Snedeker in the lead.
Day and Snedeker lead by one over last week’s winner and ultra consistent, Matt Kuchar, and Charlie Hoffman.
Day’s all round game has been solid but it has been his putting that has been the highlight on the opening two days, leading the putting stats but the growth in his game this season has been quite a revelation. Day offered his thoughts on that;
“Looking back over the last three years, you know, it’s been a really, really exciting journey. Obviously I went through a little bit of a tough time at the start of the year. I’ve grown over the last three years. I’ve matured mentally in my golf game, I’ve matured personally off the course, and everything is moving in the right direction. I’ve been writing down goals and I’ve been trying to reach them.
“This year just since the win, it’s been great. I’ve been playing a lot better golf. I’ve been getting up-and-down a lot more out there with my short game. I’ve been starting to drive the ball a little bit better now. But you know, overall I’d say my mental game has improved a lot, and you know, just grown in confidence.”
Day has been carrying a mystery illness for much of this year but it has been a case of beware the wounded golfer as his form in 2010 continues to go from strength to strength. In addition to his win in Dallas he has recorded three other top ten finishes including when 10th in his second ever Major Championship start at Whistling Straits.
“I’ve been sick for eight months now or nine months now, and it’s just been a number of things. The main thing it was – it has been was a chronic sinus infection, which has turned into a bunch of different things. As of now I’m not too sure what it is. I think after the FedExCup I’m going to go see some people that my agent, Bud, has recommended to me, and we’ll see how it goes.
“I felt great last week, but as the weeks go on, I’m feeling a lot weaker. I haven’t been – I haven’t struck the ball as well as I’d like to. My distance kind of decreased a little bit from last week, and I can just feel my body not moving as well. I don’t know, it’s just – I’m getting a lot more tired out there.”
Two other Australians are also well placed in a share of 8th position and four shots from the lead. Michael Sim and John Senden have made considerable progress in their quest to be inside the top 70 who will move forward to next week’s BMW Championship.
Matt Jones is one shot further back and former winner Adam Scott is not yet out of contention at 6 under par, a score he shares with Geoff Ogilvy.
Tiger Woods recovered from his slow start yesterday with a round of 65 to be in 29th position at 5 under but he will need to keep going if he is to be playing next week’s event in Chicago. Woods is currently in 61st position in the FedEx Cup projected points table.
