Augusta, Georgia: Jason Day’s Determination at the Masters
Jason Day, the Australian golfer, has been one of the first to register for Masters week and among the last on the driving range after a dramatic third day as he continues his pursuit of a lifelong dream — winning at Augusta National.
No one can question the effort put in by the former world No.1, who is just three shots behind the 54-hole leaders Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young. Despite years of heartbreaks and near misses, with five top 10 finishes at the April major, Day remains determined.
On the third day of the Masters, Day managed five birdies in an eight-hole stretch, bringing him to eight under par and firmly in contention for the final round. A gutsy 68 on a scorching hot day with firm fairways and rock-hard greens kept his hopes alive for a second career major victory.
Australian fans will need to set their alarm clocks early for another exciting Monday morning at the Masters, as defending champion McIlroy stumbled from a six-shot lead after two rounds to a one-over 73, bringing him back into the mix.
The 90th Masters: A Wide Open Competition
The 90th Masters is still wide open with 18 holes to go. Instead of a straightforward victory march, McIlroy will enter the final round tied for the lead at 11 under with American Cameron Young, who recently won the Players Championship.
McIlroy is aiming to become only the fourth golfer in history, after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods, to win consecutive Masters titles. Other notable players include Sam Burns (68) at 10 under and Shane Lowry (68), who impressed the crowd with a hole-in-one at the par-3 sixth, his second at the Masters, finishing at nine under.
Day’s four-under round came despite a bogey on the first hole, before two front-nine birdies steadied his game. He then went on a tear through Amen Corner, recording four consecutive birdies from the iconic par-3 12th. However, he bogeyed the par-3 16th from the greenside bunker.
A History of Near Misses
In his 15th Masters, the 2011 joint runner-up Day knows that Sundays at Augusta National are unpredictable. That’s why the 38-year-old spent over 40 minutes on Augusta’s picturesque driving range after the round, belting balls into the distance. He has left no stone unturned in his quest for victory.
Day and three-time Masters runner-up Justin Rose (69) were at eight under, while two-time Masters winner Scottie Scheffler (65) and China’s Li Haotong (69) were at seven under.
History is on Day’s side, given that the Masters champion has started the final round within five shots of the lead on 84 of 89 total editions.
Day’s Strategy for the Final Round
“On the last day, you’ve just got to try and give yourself an opportunity on the back nine,” Day said after the round. “If you can get somewhere close to the lead on the back nine, anything can happen.”
Plenty has happened to Day in final rounds at Augusta. He posted the clubhouse lead in 2011 only to have South African Charl Schwartzel steal the green jacket. In 2013, he led by two shots with two holes remaining before consecutive bogeys eventually handed Australia’s first Masters triumph to Adam Scott.
He was tied fifth, two shots behind Tiger Woods in 2019 and tied eighth last year. The 13-time PGA Tour winner Day seemed resolute in his media scrum on Saturday night, focusing only on giving himself a chance on the closing nine holes.
Final Round Expectations
The 2015 PGA Championship winner will play from the third-to-last group alongside former US Open winner Rose, teeing off at 4:03am AEST – 22 minutes before McIlroy and Young comprise the final pairing. That last group has produced 30 of the past 35 Masters winners.
“There’s a lot of guys in with a chance, but I’m still tied for the best score, so I can’t forget that, but I do know I’m going to have to be better if I want to have a chance to win,” McIlroy said.
Day feels he can fly under the radar. “I feel like the guys that are leading right now have all the pressure; I’m just the chaser,” Day said. “Guys at the top of the leaderboard always are trying to defend the lead. I feel good about my game. I feel very happy with where things are. I’m looking forward to the challenge at least.”
Australia is looking forward to watching.
