Australian golfer Jason Day ended a five-year title drought by winning the AT&T Byron Nelson on Sunday. Day, who had struggled with injuries and a drop in form that pushed him down to as low as World No. 164, clinched his 13th PGA Tour victory by two shots over Scottie Scheffler and Tyrrell Hatton. His last win came in the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship. The 35-year-old golfer faced a powerful group of contenders at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, but a chipped-in birdie at the par-4 12th enabled him to break a tie at 20 under and take the lead. He finished an impressive 23 under, ahead of Austin Eckroat and Si Woo Kim. Day’s victory was particularly emotional, as it came on Mother’s Day since losing his mother to cancer little more than a year ago.
Day’s triumph is seen as a positive sign for the golfer ahead of next week’s PGA Championship, which is set to take place in his home state of South Carolina. Day has recently been healthy and has been improving his driving and putting while hitting approach shots better than he had during his peak years in 2015 and 2016. Moreover, at the Byron Nelson, Day fired a bogey-free final-round 9-under 62, which was his best round in nearly 2 years.
Day’s mother, Dening, who had been present throughout her son’s career, passed away last March. On Sunday, her name was inscribed on the back of Day’s caddie, and he paid homage to his late mother after his victory. “I just kept pushing forward, trying to work hard, trying to work on my game and hopefully one day be able to win again. To win on Mother’s Day, it’s so special to me. I lost my mom over a year ago, and to win here at a golf course that she never saw me play before … it was just a good day,” said Day.
During his peak years in 2015 and 2016, Day was one of the world’s top-ranked golfers, reaching World No. 1 on numerous occasions. However, issues with his back led to injuries that threatened to end his time in the sport prematurely. Day’s victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson shows that he still has significant potential and skill as a golfer. He will be looking to continue his rich vein of form at the PGA Championship, which tees off at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, in a few days.
This article was generated by AI. We strive to provide the highest quality content possible and value your feedback. Please let us know if you have any concerns or suggestions regarding this article.