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A20 SPORTS
Monday 7 May 2018
Jason Day captures Wells Fargo for second win of season
By STEVE REED happy about," Day said. of the green to finish with a
AP Sports Writer "When you are on call to par.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — do something good and "You play sit there and play
Jason Day channeled his you pull it off, to be clutch mental games with your-
inner LeBron James and like that, with a lot of heart. self, subconsciously saying,
captured his second PGA ... I'm glad I watched LeB- 'You can't do this. You're
Tour event of the season. ron James this morning." going to fail, you're going
Day said he drew inspira- The 30-year-old Australian to fail,'" Day said. "I just kept
tion from James' Game 3 — an Ohio resident who on saying to myself, 'Forget
buzzer-beater against the can be found courtside at about it and keep push-
Toronto Raptors before he Cavaliers games — fought ing.'"
pulled off his own clutch through some wayward It was the Day's 12th ca-
shot on Sunday. tee shots and self-doubt to reer win on the PGA Tour.
Leading by a stroke, Day's shoot a 2-under 69 on Sun- The former world No. 1 also
7-iron hit the flagstick on the day. He finished at 12-un- won the Farmers Insurance
230-yard, par-3 17th hole, der 272. Open earlier this year after
setting up a 3-foot birdie "One of the best wins I a winless 2017.
putt and a two-shot victory have ever had," said Day, The win elevated him from
over Aaron Wise and Nick Jason Day poses with the trophy after winning the Wells Fargo who never felt on top of his 14th in the world to No. 7,
Watney at the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow Club in Char- game on Sunday. and Day said this is a "step in
Championship. lotte, N.C., Sunday, May 6, 2018. Associated Press He missed more than half the right direction" toward
"That is what I am most the fairways — including regaining the top spot as
an ugly hook into the wa- the world's best gather for
ter on the par-4 14th — hit the Players Championship
just eight greens in regula- next week.
tion and made four bogeys "Obviously power off the
on the day, squandering tee, he's a phenomenal
a three-shot lead on the driver," said Phil Mickelson,
back nine. But he toughed who also shot 69 and fin-
it out on the final three ished five shots back. "And
holes at Quail Hollow nick- he's a great putter. He's got
named the "Green Mile," a very deft, soft touch. He's
playing them in 2 under. one of the best putters in
Day caught his biggest the game. So you put those
break on 17, where the ball two things together, and
bounced four times and he's not lacking in wedge
was moving fast when it play, either. ... So he's got
hit the pin, drawing a huge strengths in all the areas
roar from the crowd. that he needs."
It came on a hole with wa- The 21-year-old Wise was
ter short, left and long of thrilled with the best finish
the green that gave play- of his career.
ers fits all day because the He wound up sharing sec-
putting surface was so firm ond place when Watney
that it was tough to stop drained a 59-foot putt on
the ball. the 18th. Day pumped
"Things like that are what his fist and cheered on his
you need to win tourna- playing partner before he
ments," Day said. rolled in the winning putt.
Day, who has had trouble "I knew I had to play incred-
with the closing hole in the ible golf to be there and I
past, then had the luxury of was able to do it," Wise
hitting an iron off the 18th said. "When the pressure
tee, knowing he had a two- was on, I kept my head
shot lead. He got up-and- about me and pulled off
down from the rough right some incredible shots."q
