“It’s your Day, Jason!”

And with that shout from a member of the Whistling Straits crowd at the 16th hole, Australia’s Jason Day went on to close out for his first Major victory at the US PGA Championship this morning.

Day, seemingly free of the aches and pains and vertigo symptoms that have plagued much of his career on the US PGA Tour, held off American superstar Jordan Spieth with a superb closing round of 67 to become the first player ever to shoot 20-under in a Major championship. His 5-under par clutch final round followed superb scores of 68-67-66.

day crying

The Queenslander finished three shots ahead of Spieth, after Day carded seven birdies and two bogeys for an emotional victory in which he was reduced to tears on the 18th green.

With nine top 10s in Majors from just 20 starts heading into the season’s final Major, Day had been threatening to finally crack his hoodoo. He delivered at the coastal Wisconsin layout just weeks after an impressive win at the Canadian Open, his second of the year. That victory came only a week after T4 at British Open.

Day totalled seven birdies on Sunday en route to his fifth US PGA Tour win. This win was his 10th top-10 (third consecutive) in 21 Major starts. Day also has seven top-5 finishes and became the sixth international US PGA Champion in the last eight years.

Spieth, 22, will overtake Rory McIlroy for world No.1 ranking after finishing solo second. Spieth finished first, first, T4 and solo second respectively during the season’s four Majors. He shot 54-under in those majors which beats Tiger Woods in 2000 for lowest ever.

McIlroy finished 17th in his return from his ankle injury. Branden Grace shot 69 to finish lone third. Justin Rose finished solo fourth with a final-round 70.

“It’s been a long journey,” Day said on the 18th green.

“The amount of work I’ve put into my game since I was a 12-year-old kid … it’s amazing to be standing here as the PGA Champion.”

 

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