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Jason Day bends but doesn’t break on the way to winning Players Championship

Jason Day acknowledges the cheers from spectators on the 13th green during the final round of the Players Championship on Sunday.

Jason Day acknowledges the cheers from spectators on the 13th green during the final round of the Players Championship on Sunday.

(Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
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Jason Day stood with his hands on his hips alongside the par-five ninth hole at TPC Sawgrass, wondering how he just chunked consecutive chips.

The world’s top-ranked player then stepped to his ball and flubbed a third.

A solid, six-foot bogey putt limited the damage, but Day’s 54-hole lead at the Players Championship had been cut from four strokes to two during a shaky opening nine holes Sunday. The run ended with him missing five consecutive greens in regulation.

Day, however, did not let the host of players suddenly in contention get too comfortable. He instead showed the killer instinct that has made the 28-year-old the best closer in golf.

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He birdied two of the next three holes and never looked back en route winning the PGA Tour’s showcase event by four shots, earning $1.8 million and further distancing himself from every other player in the game.

“This is exactly where I want to be, and I want to try to stay here as long as I can while I can,” he said. “Because nothing beats this feeling.”

Based on his performance during the tournament, Day is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Day finished with a modest one-under-par 71, but ended the week 15-under 273 total for the lowest score at TPC Sawgrass since the tournament moved to May in 2007.

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Kevin Chappell made late birdies at the 16th and 17th holes to match his runner-up to Day in March at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Fan favorite Matt Kuchar headlined a trio at 10 under, but journeyman Ken Duke was one of the stories of the week. The 47-year-old entered the tournament ranked No. 495 in the world and left with his biggest payday ($504,000) since his only win on Tour, at the 2013 Travelers Championship.

The victory was Day’s 10th on Tour and seventh in 17 starts, but his first win as world No. 1.

Day, who opened the week with a 63 to tie the course record, has posted the last three wire-to-wire wins on Tour — and the first at TPC since Hal Sutton in 2000. Day now has held his last five 54-hole leads.

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“That’s Tiger-esque, that kind of run,” former world No. 1 Adam Scott said.

The 35-year-old Scott came into the game when Tiger Woods was at the peak of his powers.

Scott, who won twice in March during the Florida swing, could sense another week of dominance coming from Day when the fellow Australians played a practice round last week.

“You can see there’s that calmness inside him, calm confidence,” Scott said. “The way he’s walking around, he’s got that kind of unbeatable look about him.”

Yet, Day said his outer calm belied a tempest brewing inside of him leading up to the final round.

“I was nervous starting the day,” he said. “I told [wife] Ellie earlier this morning, this is probably the most nervous I’ve been before a tournament round. I’m sitting there going, don’t choke. I mean, that would be the worst thing ever.

“Everyone would be talking about it.”

Not long ago, Day did struggle to close the deal.

At the 2015 Open Championship, Day faltered down the stretch to miss out on a playoff by a shot. Later, he fought back tears during his post-round interview.

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Day said he turned his disappointment into a newfound determination to finally live up to the incredible expectations he has faced since he was a teen.

“It just flat-out sucks losing,” Day said. “It doesn’t feel good. I like doing this, sitting next to the trophy and being able to tell you how great of a week I had.

“That week, something changed. I think I said you myself, you know, I think you’re ready to finally do this.”

Day has been like a runaway train ever since and suddenly finds himself without peer.

At TPC, world No. 2 Jordan Spieth and defending champion Rickie Fowler missed the cut. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy had more bogeys or worse (seven) than birdies (six) during the weekend.

The Big Four has become an Unbeatable One.

Yet, Day had to contend with his own rough patches Sunday before he regained his footing and ran away from one of the best fields in golf.

Day’s chipping struggles at No. 9 had his mind spinning.

“I felt like an amateur chopping my way to the pin from only 10 yards off the green,” he said.

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Day soon showed why he is the best player on Earth, sinking a bogey many would have missed. Day said it was his shot of the tournament.

At home in Dallas, Spieth concurred, tweeting, “JDay bogey putt on 9 was possibly most underrated shot of the day. Gathered emotions knocked it in and led to a clutch back nine. Great win!”

Day hopes it is just one of many more to come.

“I look at that 10 PGA Tour wins, and I say to myself, that’s not enough,” he said. “I want more than 10. I’m just like, OK, I want to be able to be looked back on and know that he was one of the greats in the game.”

egthompson@tribune.com

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