Players 2023: This Jason Day punch-out went from a 15-out-of-10 shot to a 0-out-of-10 shot in an excruciating way

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Sitting three-under for his round at TPC Sawgrass’ 16th hole, Jason Day did the one thing you can’t do at the gettable par 5 – he missed left. He went to “jail”, if you will. Even Houdini would have had trouble busting out.

And yet, not only did Day attempt an impossible escape, he pulled it off, punching a low hook through a tiny window between two trees and getting his ball to chase its way towards the green. It was a 15-out-of-10 on the escapee scale.

Then, in the most excruciating way possible, it became a 0-out-of-10. Truly sick stuff:

To pull off a shot like that and not get rewarded for it is as brutal as it gets. Day went from thinking he just pulled off some serious magic that might lead to a birdie to just trying to avoid double-bogey. How that thick collar of rough didn’t stop that ball from finding the drink is beyond comprehension.

Fortunately Day was able to save bogey, then finished par-par to get in the clubhouse with a two-under 70. Considering he went off in the more difficult afternoon wave, that’s still a quality round. But it could have been a special one if that ball had just hung on for dear life.