Five days after undergoing an MRI on his troublesome back and Jason Day stood tall moving to the top of the FedEx Cup standings after a stunning six-shot triumph in Edison, New Jersey.
Day lit up the town and the first in the world to boast electric illuminated street lamps with an impressive and historic display over all four days on the Plainfield Country Club course.
Day created PGA Tour history becoming the third Australian-born player to win four times on the Tour in a single season, and with Greg Norman winning three times in 1986 and 1995 though Norman did win the 1986 European Open on the European Tour.
The 27-year old Queenslander was in a class of his own claiming back-to-back PGA Tour triumphs after capturing the PGA Championship in his prior start.
Jason Day, of Australia, kisses the winner’s trophy after winning The Barclays golf tournament Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015, in Edison, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
In the process Day unseated Star Spangled local hero Jordan Spieth atop of the money list and with the Texan paying a heavy price in missing the cut by not only seeing Day go past him but losing after just a fortnight his World No. 1 ranking to Rory McIlroy.
And Day heads to Boston and Friday’s start to the Deutsche Bank Championship with the mathematical chance of going past both McIlroy and Spieth and to World No. 1.
However there had been an injury cloud hanging over Day since he withdrew from Wednesday’s Pro-Am after revealing he had tweaked his back late on Tuesday in removing a box from under this motorhome while it didn’t help his cause earlier that day when he helped push a broken-down motorised golf cart.
The injury proved timely for Day to undergo an MRI on his back and with doctors at nearby St. Peter’s Hospital in New Brunswick reporting everything to be ‘structurally sound’ with the champion Australian.
The very hot conditions over the championship were clearly to Day’s favour in posting scores of a pair of 68s and then a sizzling third day 63 that saw him head to the final round of the $US 8.25m event sharing the lead with Korean Sangmoon Bae.
But it was the closest anyone got to Day as he birdied two of his opening four holes and then the seventh ahead of completing his inward half in five under par including snatching birdie at the 18th for a second day running.
And after breaking down in tears over his tap-in victory putt at Whistling Straits it was a clearly more composed Day who looked very much in control, and also very much at ease when his final putt dropped ahead of him taking a short step back and then spreading out both arms in triumph.
“It’s just great to get my first FedEx Cup win and I’m really going to try and make this push for the FedEx Cup,” he said.
“It’s been a good summer for me and I never expected to come out and play the way I did today.
“So it’s been an amazing year and just the work and the dedication I’ve put in over the years, it feels like it’s finally paying off. It’s just been a whirlwind kind of summer.
Moment on triumph – Jason Day celebrates becoming the first Australian to win four times on the PGA Tour in a single season.
“But then I have to say it’s a lot easier coming down the stretch in a major championship, I can tell you that. I don’t know what to say, as this week has been just fantastic.”
Day is the second Australian after Adam Scott in 2013 to be handed the gleaming Waterford Crystal Barclays Championship trophy while he earns a prize cheque for $US 1.485m that takes his PGA Tour career earning through the $US 25m barrier.
JASON DAY – WITH HIS BARCLAYS CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY
First Barclays Championship success in eighth straight event appearance – prior best result T2nd in 2014
Sixth PGA Tour victory – 2010 HP Byron Nelson Championship, 2014 WGC – Accenture Match-Play Championship, 2015 Farmers Insurance Open, 2015 RBC Canadian Open, 2015 PGA Championship & 2015 Barclays Championship.
Victory comes in his 168th PGA Tour start.
Seventy- four events between winning 2010 Byron Nelson and 2014 WGC – Accenture Match-Play but then just a further 17 events to capture 2015 Farmers Insurance, and now three other victories in the space of 15 events this season.
Second Australian to win the Barclays Championship after Adam Scott in 2013.
First Australian to win four tournaments in a single PGA Tour season.
Earns a cheque for $US 1.485m to take his PGA Tour earnings to $25,169,136 ($AUD 37,176,09)
