Jason Day feels mental resolve is vital for US Open at Oakmont
By Keith Jackson
Last Updated: 15/06/16 10:17am
Jason Day believes his ability to "thrive on stress" can help him land his first US Open title this week after a number of near-misses.
Day has posted four top-10s in his five appearances in the tournament, including two runner-up finishes, while he was tied for the lead heading into the final round at Chambers Bay last year despite collapsing with vertigo-like symptoms towards the end of his second round.
The Australian finally made his major breakthrough at the PGA Championship last season, and he feels that both his game and mental strength are perfectly suited to the demands of a US Open course - particularly at Oakmont.
"I feel good about where I'm at right now with regards to my game," said the world No 1, who looked primed to contend for the Memorial title earlier this month before closing with a disappointing 74.
"Things didn't really pan out the way I wanted at the Memorial Tournament, but I had a week off and got here Friday and been prepping for this tournament. This is probably the hardest venue of the season, so I'm mentally and physically trying to prepare the best I can.
"I've been very close to winning a US Open, especially the last few years. I've had two second-place finishes, but obviously one of them wasn't that close with Rory kind of blowing the field out. But this is one tournament that is very stressful and I feel like I thrive under stress, and hopefully I can do that this year.
"I think when you're in stressful situations like you are at US Opens, where this is usually the toughest course we play every single year, you have to come in with a positive attitude regardless of what the outcome is. If you come with a bad attitude, you may as well not even tee it up that week."
Day admitted that protecting his lead with Jordan Spieth trying to reel him in at Whistling Straits last August was one of the toughest days he had endured in his career, particularly after his health scare at Chambers Bay.
He had held the lead in both the US Open and Open Championship only to come up short, but he got over the line at the PGA Championship and he feels overcoming that test to win his first major stands him in good stead to contend at Oakmont.
"Winning my first major was tough in a way that I was healthy and everything was going great," he added. "I was driving the ball fantastic that week, and I didn't want to cough up my third 54-hole lead in a major championship that year.
"I had the 54-hole lead at the US Open, the Open, and the PGA. I didn't realise that until I got into the final round at Whistling Straits. The US Open last year was a different story. I was battling something that I couldn't control. So I was just trying to get through the tournament and hopefully give myself an opportunity at winning the event."
Oakmont is regarded as one of the toughest courses on the US Open rota - Angel Cabrera was five over when he won there in 2007 - and Day is fully aware that accuracy off the tee is paramount this week.
He said: "I think you can lay back here at this golf course, and you can try and overpower it. There are some holes out there that you can hit driver and go after, but the rough is so thick, it's just a premium on hitting fairways this week.
"I think if you can dial it back a little bit, give yourself opportunities on the fairways, you're definitely at an advantage hitting a seven-iron rather than a wedge out of the rough this week. We always say each and every week, it's a bomber's course. For the most part, it's a bomber's game, our generation. It's not like that this week."
