Fatiha Betscher at Torrey Pines.
Australia’s Jason Day is again celebrating an early New Year victory after a second extra play-off hole success at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in California.
Day, who had won early in 2014 at the WGC – Accenture Match-Play Championship, captured a fourth PGA Tour title after he had been among four players to have ended regulation play at nine under par.
The Queensland-born Day becomes the first Australian to win the title since the inaugural event in 1952 when it was known as the San Diego Open.
Day also is only the third non-American after South African Gary Player (1962) and Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal (2002) to capture the tournament.
And Day’s triumph comes just over a week after compatriot Kel Nagle, and a fellow World Cup of Golf winner, sadly passed away aged 94.
The all-black dressed Day had posted a final round two under par 70 to end tied with the American trio of J B Holmes, who shot a 72 in regulation, along with Harris English, who got up-and-down from a greenside bunker at the last in regulation for birdie also in a score of 72, and also Scott Stallings shooting a round of 69.
Jason Day after becoming the first Australian to capture the Farmers Insurance Open.
The four headed back to the 570-yard par five 18th and with both Day and Holmes making birdies while English and Stallings dropped out after pars.
Day and Holmes headed off to the 196-yard par three, 16th where the Queensland-born Day, who had birdied the hole around an hour earlier, put a 5-iron shot to 15 feet after Holmes flew the green and with his ball landing up against the base of a TV tower from where he was afforded a ‘free’ drop.
Holmes then sent his second shot 12 feet past the hole from where he two-putted for bogey.
Day then stepped up and while he missed his birdie he had no trouble holing a one foot putt par winning putt.
“Farmers Insurance Open winner sounds good,” said Day.
Jason Day captures the Farmers Insurance Open just over a week after fellow World Cup of Golf winner and compatriot Kel Nagle passed away. (Photo – www.pgatour.com)
“It’s an amazing feeling as I have been working so hard for this win, and I just visualizing myself this week holding the trophy and kind of like what I did last year when I won the Match-Play.
“So I am just really, really proud of myself to be able to hang in there and do what I needed to do.”
Along with moving to the new World No. 4 Day collected a first prize cheque of $US 1.134m.
American Chad Collins shot the best round of the day, a five under par 67 to share 17th place on five under par.
While Ireland’s Shane Lowry, contesting the event for a first time in his carer, carded a last day 68 to grab a four-way share of seventh place at seven under par.
Lowry capped his round with five birdies, including birdies at five and six, and with just the lone bogey.
Tied with Lowry was Scotland’s Martin Laird (69) and the American pair of Nick Watney and Jimmy Walker and with each signing for 73s.
