Jason Day torches TPC Sawgrass with record-tying round
On one of the easiest days in the history of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass — more than half the field is in red numbers, and 11 golfers shot a round of 66 or better — the world's No. 1 golfer had one of his best performances of the year and tied the course record with a 63.
Jason Day. At his best.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2016
Highlights of his course record-tying 63. https://t.co/4j0kHZLe7q
Day has never won at TPC Sawgrass, but he carded nine birdies and zero bogeys in his first round to lead the field by two strokes.
.@JDayGolf record-tying scorecard @THEPLAYERSChamp. pic.twitter.com/FIDn491R5n
— PGA TOUR Media (@PGATOURmedia) May 12, 2016
Day's round could have been even better. He started on the 10th hole, and was an inch away from holing a long birdie putt on the long par-3 eighth. Day finished his round with birdie at the ninth.
.@JDayGolf round of 63 @THEPLAYERSChamp is lowest for him since first-round 61 at the 2015 BMW Championship.
— PGA TOUR Media (@PGATOURmedia) May 12, 2016
.@JDayGolf: 7th round of 63 or better over last 2 #PGATour seasons, 2 more than any other player during that span.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) May 12, 2016
Jason Day is the 5th player to shoot 63 at @TPCSawgrass. 2 of previous 4 went on to win @THEPLAYERSChamp that week.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) May 12, 2016
@JDayGolf tying course records, taking names. I'm just over here making lasagna and keeping my small humans alive. ???
— Ellie Day (@ellielaneday) May 12, 2016
Jordan Spieth played with Day and couldn't keep up. In his first tournament since losing a five-shot lead at the Masters, Spieth dropped three shots over his last five holes and labored to a 72. He ended with a double bogey on the par-5 ninth when it took him five shots to get down from a bunker behind the green.
Masters champion Danny Willett, rusty from a month of being home with a newborn son and a green jacket, opened with a 70.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
