Jason Day let his emotions pour out on the 72nd green of the PGA Championship on a sunny Sunday Wisconsin afternoon.
He let his emotions pour out only after he poured out enough great golf shots to set a new standard in the history of major championship golf.
Day was close to flawless when it counted most over Whistling Straits and its challenging landscape. He was flawless enough to shoot a five-under par 67 that got him to 20-under par, a number never recorded before in a major. He was flawless enough to put himself in a class of his own on his way to finally winning his first major title.
Day was flawless enough to leave Jordan Spieth in his wake. Spieth was his usual solid, unflappable self and put up his own 68 to finish solo second at 17-under. He was the first to give all the credit to Day.
“There wasn’t much I could do,” Spieth said after watching Day’s performance. “Jason just put on a clinic off the tee. I’m proud of the way we battled but there wasn’t much I could do. I figured with the wind that four of five-under would be good.”
Spieth did walk away with a huge consolation prize. His runnerup finish earned him the No. 1 ranking in the world. “Yes, I realized it coming up 18 fairway. It’s an unbelievable feeling, it’s a goal I’ve worked for.”
It may have been Spieth’s presence that pushed Day to excel as he did.
Spieth never went away, he pushed on his opponent for all 18 holes. Day knew he would have to play well and responded. He never relinquished the lead he started with.
Day sealed the deal with a superb drive at the par five 16th then rifled a second shot within 15 feet of the hole. It was an easy two-putt to get to the previously unattainable 20-under number. “The tee shot at 17 then the tee shot at 18 did it,” Day said.
“It’s been a long journey,” said Day, who will turn 28 later this year. “The amount of work I’ve put in and the disappointments I’ve had in the majors. I didn’t expect I was gonna cry but I’ve been so close so many times. I couldn’t ask for anything better than to finish it off and finish it off in style. It was an amazing feeling.”
Day never opened the door for any of his pursuers. He put up four birdies on the front and three more coming home, including the clincher at 16 that put him at the magical 20-under.
Branden Grace took solo third at 15-under with Justin Rose alone in fourth at 14. But they were only bit players on this magical march for Day.
Spieth gave it his best shot from the start but it wasn’t good enough.
Jason Day was finally good enough. After knocking on the door of no less than a half dozen majors, he finally came up with the solution.
Day pounded the door down with a skill set that no one could match.
Not even the world’s No. 1 player.
