Australian golf star Jason Day broke a five-year PGA Tour title drought with an emotionally charged $9.5million Mother’s Day win [$A14.3m] AT&T Byron Nelson Championship in Texas.
A year after losing mother Adenil ‘Dening’ Day to cancer and falling outside the top 100, Day denied Scottie Scheffler the chance to return to world No. 1 in a tense Sunday shootout at the TPC Craig Ranch.
Day fired a brilliant nine-under-par 62 bogeyless final round to secure a one-shot victory over Si Woo Kim [63] and the American Austin Ekroat [65].
CT Pan, Kim’s compatriot [62] finished fourth at 21 under, with Scheffler [65] eventually finishing fifth by three strokes after being unable to keep up with Day on the home stretch.
Kim birdied the last to briefly join Day at the top of the leaderboard, but the Queenslander held his nerve to respond and give his wife Ellie – greenside and heavily pregnant with the couple’s fifth child – her own priceless gift for the mothers’ Day.
In a poignant tribute, Day’s caddy sported a bib with his mother’s birth name “Adenil” and the inspired former world No. 1 honored his memory in style with his first tournament win since the 2018 Farmers Insurance Open.
Jason Day’s caddy Luke Reardon wears ‘Adenil’ on his bib – the name of the Australian golf star’s late mother
Day’s mother sadly died of cancer last year, but the Aussie golfer said he could feel her spirit with him on the course
Day’s wife Ellie and their four children watch dad claim PGA Tour victory on Mother’s Day in Texas
‘It was the first [Mother’s Day] kinda without it, so having it on my shopping cart bib was special,” Day said.
“And then obviously Ellie, the amount of sacrifices she’s made for me and my career, I can’t thank her enough.”
In a huge confidence boost ahead of next week’s US PGA Championship, the second major of the season in New York, Day finished at 23 under and had just three bogeys for the week.
Fittingly, the 35-year-old ended his barren run at the same tournament where he picked up his first PGA Tour victory in 2010.
But his 13th triumph is even more special and completes Day’s tumultuous journey past heartbreak and despair.
He languished at No. 175 in the world last September before rebuilding his momentum to battle the debilitating back injury that threatened to end a once formidable career prematurely.
But the resilience of the 2016 PGA Championship winner is now paying off, with Day among the hottest players on the planet once again.
Day poses proudly with the first PGA Tour trophy he won in five years after claiming a thrilling win in Texas
Day’s victory is sealed with a kiss from his wife Ellie who was in class with their four children on Mother’s Day
Day shares a hug with his eldest son Dash who was just six the last time his father won a PGA Tour title
He posted six top 10s this year and eight consecutive top 20s before an untimely bout of dizziness ruined his chances of mastering it.
Along with the trophy, the 35-year-old pocketed a check for $1.7 million. [$A2.6m] after breaking his 1,835-day title drought.
“It’s been a tough couple of years, so to be able to get the win like I played today was really special,” Day said.
“I had a lot of back injuries and for a while I thought I was not going to play anymore, then trying to get through those two years and trying to get through a tournament was tough.
“So to be on the other side, to be healthy, to feel good about my game, to finally win again, there really is no better feeling.”
Day and Scheffler both started the second round behind co-leaders Ryan Palmer, Eckroat and Zecheng Dou, a Chinese-born Dallas resident, who cleared early Sunday.
But the cream rose to the top after Dou opened the door with a double bogey on the eighth hole.
Day and Scheffler had four shots apiece to enter the back top nine at under 18, with 22 players within three shots of the lead.
After cruelly hitting the holeshot with his approach on the 11th and striding off the green, Day had the golf gods on his side when he birdied the next to claim the solo lead for the first time.
He was never directed.
Fellow countryman Adam Scott enjoyed the clubhouse at 19 under following a final round of eight birdies 63 before finally settling for an equal seventh place finish.
Aaron Baddeley (68) finished tied for 23rd at 15 under, while David Micheluzzi (70) finished at nine under in a respectable share of 67th in his PGA Tour debut.