Despite a stellar week and a now-iconic 2-iron shot on the closing hole, No. 1 in the world Jason Day narrowly missed repeating a win at the 98th PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey on Sunday, July 31.
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Joe House: So let’s talk about Jimmy Walker for a second.
Padraig Harrington believes his game is in great shape as he turns his attention to Rio after another fine round lifted him to the fringes of the top 10 at the US PGA Championship. We had a good front number, and that’s what we did, and went with it. “I was hanging in there alright and then birdied nine and 11, which was nice. I’m not even close”.
“So many things are better”, the three-time major victor said of his game. As bad I have been playing this year, it’s good to know I can show up any week.
Day opened with bogeys on Nos. The ankle remains tender. He shot 69 and 68 Sunday and was at 6 under.
He is the equivalent of $680,000 ahead of Bubba Watson, who slipped to No. 9, with four tournaments left.
“Maybe I need to change my attitude”.
“On the face of it, there is no real logic to why he took so long to break through”. However, Johnson still leads the lucrative FedEx Cup standings.
“You can learn the most when you’re in this position”, he said. He had three week off between the U.S. Open and Scottish Open in 2014, and he took six weeks off in 2009 to tend for his wife when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “I think he’s ready for a drink…” That really put it on me to make a par – and pars are hard sometimes.
He is looking forward to the Ryder Cup, which is September 30-Oct. Usually I only play three. This is one of Mickelson’s best year without having won through the majors. A birdie at 17 gave him a three-shot lead. But when he shared 21st at the Canadian Open between the British Open and PGA, Walker had an epiphany.
Rose has won at least one event worldwide every year since 2010, but the Ryder Cup star has yet to taste victory in a frustrating 2016 campaign hampered by a back injury. But he kept his cool and kept hitting the right shots at the right time and, most significantly, got the breaks – luck, if you like – when he needed them. “Haven’t played that well this year, but I feel like there’s still time for me to play good at the end of the year to have a chance to get on the team or get the nod to get picked”. And I guess that applies to my career. “I’m excited about where my game is”.
He had done everything else possible, drilling an eagle putt on 18, notching a pair of 3-under 67s Sunday in the third and fourth rounds to finish the PGA Championship 13-under and stay in contention, only to be outdone by Jimmy Walker, an American without much of a major- championship pedigree.
“I wouldn’t have called this, but it’s huge”, Walker said. “That’s a lifetime dream”.
Day wasn’t complaining. He understood exactly why it played out as it did. It’s so fun to know where you are and the situation and pump a drive down the middle of the fairway on kind of intimidating-looking finishing drive.
Walker played a long iron off the tee at 18 but his second shot sailed right of the green in thick rough.
Robert Streb wasn’t as fortunate.
On No. 11, Walker rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt to move two shots clear of the field.
AMAZING GRACE: Branden Grace hasn’t won a major. As you can tell from onlookers jumping up and down with their arms raised in a frenzy, the feat went down during the rain-soaked Saturday. Walker, who shot a 68 in the morning for a one-shot lead over Day, didn’t make a bogey over the last 28 holes.
“But I’m going to sleep pretty well tonight I think”.
Day was equal second at the 2011 Masters, runner-up at the 2011 and 2013 US Opens and runner-up at last year’s British Open at St Andrews. He tied for fourth in the PGA Championship past year.
“I’m a little disappointed, but at the end of the day I came in here with not the greatest preparation”.
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At his pre-tournament press conference, Day didn’t sound like a player preparing to make a big run, saying, “I’m not coming into this week expecting a lot”. I got rubbed down. I came here this week, I thought this is a place I can do well.
