Page 18 - ATODAY
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SPORTS A19
Monday 21 March 2016
Jason Day’s wild ride ends with a
Bay Hill victory
DOUG FERGUSON hole. the par putt, he heard the Jason Day, of Australia, poses with the championship trophy
AP Golf Writer “I knew it was a good cheer behind him as Day after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Ar- shot,” he said. “It was ex- made his birdie. in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, March 20, 2016. Day finished the
nold Palmer was watching actly what I wanted to do.” “Being honest, kind of tournament with a score of 17-under 271. Associated Press
him. Tiger Woods was tex- Day, who finished at 17-un- had me rattled a little bit,”
ting him. der 271, became the first Chappell said.
Jason Day, his ball in a bun- wire-to-wire winner (no He left his par putt well short
ker on the 18th hole, was ties) at Bay Hill since Fred and made bogey, signed
only thinking about how to Couples in 1992. His eighth his card and watched a TV
navigate nearly 100 feet in career PGA Tour victory monitor for Day’s bunker
two shots to get the par he moved him to No. 2 in the shot.
needed to win the Arnold world and gave him a “It’s obviously those things
Palmer Invitational on Sun- chance to overtake Jor- — one of many — why
day. dan Spieth next week at he’s been the No. 1 play-
Out of sorts with his swing the Dell Match Play. er in the world, and why
all afternoon, Day deliv- And with the Masters I’m the 150th player in the
ered his best at the end. looming, Day joins a long world,” Chappell said.
The bunker shot came out list of players who are on “You just can’t bogey the
just as he pictured, and their games. Adam Scott last when you’re in conten-
Day made the 4-foot par won the first two events in tion, and hats off to Jason.
putt to close with a 2-under Florida. Charl Schwartzel He played well, real clutch
70 and outlast Kevin Chap- won last week. Day’s vic- down the stretch. And I’ll
pell for his first win of the tory meant for the first time learn from this and get bet-
year. since 1993 the Florida swing ter.”
“I was able to walk up there was won by major champi-
and have a special mo- ons.
ment with the King,” Day Day was most satisfied by
said. “That’s something I al- winning without his best
ways wanted to do.” stuff. He said he never felt
He never imagined having comfortable over any shot,
to work this hard. and it showed in his face
There was a four-man sprint as he looked on with un-
over the final two hours certainty at so many shots.
at Bay Hill, and it was all He was patient enough to
about who made the few- wait for his chance, and he
est mistakes. Day got his seized it with the 5-iron on
out of the way early. He No. 17 and the bunker shot
lost a two-shot lead on the on the 18th.
front nine, recovered with “It’s one of those tourna-
a 9-iron out of the rough ments that the biggest
and over a bunker to a foot guys usually win,” Day said.
on the ninth hole for birdie, One of those big guys was
and then produced two Woods, an eight-time win-
clutch shots at the end. ner at Bay Hill and now
Day was one shot behind somewhat of a mentor to
Chappell, who was in trou- Day. He said they talk oc-
ble on the 18th hole, when casionally and text fre-
he hit 5-iron to 12 feet on quently, and he received a
the par-3 17th and made text from Woods on Sunday
birdie. Chappell made his morning with a typical mes-
lone bogey of the back sage: “Just be yourself and
nine on the final hole and stay in your world.”
shot 69, and then could It was a heartache for
only wait to see if Day Chappell, dealing with a
could beat him. sinus ailment he picked
“I had a chance to win, up from his young son that
and that’s all I can ask drained his energy. Chap-
for,” Chappell said after his pell took the lead for the
fourth runner-up finish on last time at 17 under with a
the PGA Tour, and second two-putt birdie on the par-
this season. 5 16th, followed by a par
From a reasonable lie in the save from a tough shot in
right rough on the 18th, Day the bunker on No. 17. His
took the water out of play tee shot on the 18th went
and went into the front left right and buried into deep
bunker. With water behind grass, leaving him no op-
him, Day blasted the ball tion but to lay up.
far enough to let it roll out Chappell hit wedge to 25
to just 4 feet behind the feet and before he took hit
