Jason Day has battled the grief of his mother Dening’s recent death and a weather-delayed first round to climb into Players Championship contention with a solid opening round.
The former world No.1 and 2016 winner at TPC Sawgrass posted a 69 at the same course to sit at three-under-par and three shots back of co-leaders Tommy Fleetwood and Tom Hoge (66).
Brice Garnett holed out for eagle from 96 yards on the fourth hole to join a share of the lead at -6 before play was suspended.
After play was suspended on Thursday for more than four hours due to storms, Friday saw only four hours’ worth of golf played before another suspension. Gary Young, chief referee for the PGA Tour, said a Monday finish was likely given Saturday’s forecast also includes 100km/h winds.
Day, whose mother passed last week aged 65 after a five-year battle with lung cancer, withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational. But the 12-time PGA Tour winner decided to tee up at the Players Championship as a welcomed distraction to the grief.
The 34-year-old is devastated but was pleased with his best opening round at TPC Sawgrass since the 2018 Players when he eventually tied for fifth.
Because of weather delay’s on Thursday, Day played his first round on Friday. The Australian got off to a hot start with three front nine birdies. Two back nine birdies were negated by two bogeys but the Queenslander
“It was a good start,” Day said. “Hopefully we can get our second round in (on Friday). But it was nice to be able to (at least) finish (the first) round. I know that tomorrow is going to be pretty awful (with 100km/h winds forecast for Ponte Vedra, Florida area).”
Day lost his mother, Dening, last week.
Day said his commitment to shots were key in foul weather but added his caddie, Luke Reardon, was on song with his yardages and suggestions on Friday.
“Having a good caddie actually (improves your score in the rain) by a shot or two out there,” he said. “What he was doing definitely helped. So commitment is huge, especially when you come down the stretch; 17 and 18 are brutal, especially with rain.”
Day was tied with Cam Smith (69) and Lucas Herbert (15 holes) as the top Australians on the leaderboard at three under. Marc Leishman managed 14 holes on Friday and lifted his score to two under.
Cam Davis was at one under, while Adam Scott was at six over and Matt Jones was seven over.
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