Jason Day returns from back injury, makes insane eagle on par-4
World No. 2 Jason Day made the surprising decision to play Thursday less than 24 hours after "searing" back pain left him hobbling off the couse in Austin, but he's already back to hitting preposterously long drives. Facing Thongchai Jaidee in the WGC-Dell Match Play, Day boomed a 372-yard drive that rolled to within 12 feet of the hole, and he buried the putt to take an early lead en route to a 5-and-3 victory. He needs only to halve his match Friday to reach the round of 16.
So ... Looks like Jason Day's back is OK.#QuickHits https://t.co/aJNqFxvH14
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 24, 2016
With the Masters just two weeks away, many speculated that Day would choose to rest, but after stretching his back Thursday he felt healthy enough to continue. According to the Golf Channel, Day said that if he tweaks his back again, he plans to withdraw for the rest of the event.
"If I didn't play today, I was going to pull out of the tournament totally," Day said. "I wasn't going to come back on Friday. I may as well get the rest and recovery and try to get ready for Augusta. I was playing against Thongchai. I felt like if I went there and played some golf, I could get him.
"Fortunately for me, I played some good golf," he said. "There wasn't one shot where I felt it today, which was good."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
