Jason Day matches course record of 63 in opening round at Sawgrass
Friday 13 May 2016 06:18, UK
Jason Day became only the fifth player to fire a 63 at TPC Sawgrass as he roared into the lead on the opening day of The Players Championship.
Despite admitting to feeling fatigued throughout his round, Day carded nine birdies in a flawless effort which earned him a two-stroke advantage over the star-studded field at golf's "fifth major".
Day got up and running with a 30-foot putt for birdie at the 10th, and he got up and down from a greenside bunker at the next before making it three birdies in a row when he converted a controlled 80-yard pitch to six feet at 12.
The world No 1 followed a run of four pars with another birdie from 10 feet at the 17th, and he picked up three shots in four holes from the first to hit the front on seven under.
After holing from 12 feet for another birdie at seven, he closed out his record-equalling round in style as his 45-yard bunker splash-out at the ninth curled to within six inches of the cup.
Day tapped in to join an exclusive group, with Fred Couples (1992), Greg Norman (1994), Roberto Castro (2013) and Martin Kaymer (2014) the only other players to have returned a 63 at the PGA Tour's flagship event.
"I played solid from tee to green and I was very confident with my putter," Day said. "I just got things going, but unfortunately it didn't go in on eight. I really wanted to hole that putt to then try and give myself a birdie on nine to beat the record but I will take tying the course record."
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Day, who missed the cut for the third time in the tournament last year after following an opening 69 with an 81, insisted that feeling tired had helped him focus on his game.
"It's been a long week because it's been hot and I just felt really tired all day for some reason," added Day, who is in prime position to land a seventh win in 17 starts. "That kind of distracted me from anything else.
"The scores here are so low. When you shoot a nine-under-par round, you expect - especially on this course - to have a decent lead. I've got only a two-shot lead and there's a slew of guys that are at seven under and at six and five (under)."
Day's round was vastly superior to his closest rival in the world rankings, with playing-partner Jordan Spieth stumbling to a level-par 72 despite making four birdies on the back nine.
Making his first appearance since his infamous collapse on the final day of the Masters, Spieth reeled off three consecutive birdies from the second before giving shots back at five and six following wayward approaches from the fairway.
Spieth holed from 12 feet for another birdie at the seven, but he got into trouble at the ninth as he could not find the green from a greenside bunker and then three-putted to run up an ugly seven.
