Jason Day’s par-3 tip: Forget the flag

By Australian Golf Digest
Here’s a question: who’s the best par-3 player in world golf?
If you answered Jason Day, pat yourself on the back. The unstoppable Aussie is riding a wave of form not seen since Tiger Woods’ dominant 2000 season.
While his driving and putting seems to be getting most of the plaudits, Day’s par-3 statistics are mind blowing. The Queenslander is ranked No.1 on the US PGA tour in “Par 3 Birdie or Better”, walking off with a birdie or better nearly 20 per cent of the time.
He also ranks first in “Par 3 Scoring Average” with 2.95 and third in “Par 3 Performance” – only because he has played less par 3 holes than the leaders this year.
So what’s the secret to Day’s success on the short holes? The US PGA Champion explains below.
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  1. Forget the flag. I’m looking at the middle of the green. It’s safer.In 2011 on the US PGA Tour, I ranked No.1 in par-3 performance. I finished the year 21-under on those holes and made birdie nearly 20 per cent of the time. How did I do it? In 2008, my par-3 stats were bad so my coach, Colin Swatton, and I came up with a simple strategy that many golfers find difficult to execute: Play to the middle of the green, no matter the flag’s location. It’s better to have a long putt than a chip, right? That was the foundation for an effective method of playing par 3s.
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