“Some stuff kind of clicked last week, literally in the last like nine holes”.
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“I know exactly how Jimmy feels because I did exactly that a year ago”, said Day, who beat Spieth by three shots at Whistling Straits in 2015 to win his first major. Thank goodness he at least got the monkey off his back at Whistling Straits previous year, otherwise he would have been feeling particularly low today.
And there were moments for all three this year, from Spieth leading the Masters late on Sunday to McIlroy with a strong British Open that still left him a long way behind the victor to Jason Day making a run at a second PGA Championship.
Meanwhile, Walker’s fellow American Daniel Summerhays finished third on ten under, with Branden Grace, Hideki Matsuyama, and Brooks Koepka joint fourth on nine under. Otherwise, he could only lament that because of the weather delay players were not re-paired between the third and fourth rounds. The players were also able to replace balls on the fairways a full club-length from their original spots (not nearer the hole).
“It’s certainly a hard decision”, PGA of America chief championships officer Kerry Haigh said. It was not unexpected since Jimmy Walker is one of the best putters on Tour.
Groups kept their third-round pairings for the last round in another time-saving bid.
Walker ran off nine pars in a row on the front nine of the final round but had Day and British Open champion Henrik Stenson breathing down on his neck, one shot back at the turn.
Walker sank a stunning 45-foot chip from a greenside bunker to birdie the par-4 10th and reach 12 under.
Day sat in the scoring area with son Dash on his knee as he watched Walker pitch up and lag his first putt to within three feet of the hole on 18.
The American, a five-time PGA Tour victor, holed out from a greenside bunker to birdie the 10th and rolled in a 30-footer for birdie at 11 to lead by two.
As Walker approached his putt, a loud roar could be heard from the par-5 18th.
After Day’s expected eagle, he had a chance to send the Championship to a playoff. “Jason really put it on me to make par”.
“‘Sometimes, things just don’t come easy”, Walker said hoisting the PGA Wannamaker Trophy. Nothing in golf comes easy.
“Jason, when he holes out for eagle on the last hole doesn’t give me a whole lot of time to soak it in”.
For his second shot, he returned to the 2-iron for a near flawless second shot to the green.
British Open champion Henrik Stenson, trying to join Ben Hogan as the only players to win back-to-back majors at age 40, finally faded away with a double bogey on the 15th hole.
Day began the week fighting fatigue and illness, having never played the 7,428-yard layout until a practice round on the eve of the event.
“If you do get momentum in the early holes you feel good and feel there are opportunities to make birdies”. “I can’t be disappointed”. He deservedly now wears the tag of major victor, and takes his place among golf’s immortal elite as a result. Walker, for his part, missed the cut at Royal Troon and didn’t play last week.
Robert Streb, whose 63 on Friday tied the lowest round in any major, shot 72 and 69 to finish six strokes back.
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“I kinda lost hold of my golf swing there for a while in the morning, but the afternoon was better”.
