RBC Heritage 2016: Jason Day tied for lead after 69
Monday 18 April 2016 00:20, UK
World No 1 Jason Day is well placed to win his third PGA Tour event of the season after posting a second-day 69 to grab a share of the lead at the half-way stage of the RBC Heritage in South Carolina.
The 28-year-old offset two bogeys with four birdies over the famed Harbour Town layout and, after 36 holes at Hilton Head Island, is tied at six-under-par with Kevin Chappell and Charley Hoffman.
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Starting on the back nine in round two at Harbour Town, Day took his time to get going in damp, chilly conditions and made pars on each of his opening seven holes.
The highlight of his day was a birdie-three at 18, where he holed from 10 feet, while his low point came at the par-five, sixth, which he bogeyed after driving out of bounds.
The Australian admitted feeling tired when he arrived from Augusta where he tied-for-10th after four topsy-turvy days during the opening major of the season.
He had gone to The Masters having won back-to-back tournaments during March and was expected to challenge for the Green Jacket.
Regarding his experience at The Masters, last week, Day said: "I felt like I was kind of punch drunk a little bit.
"I felt like I went 10 rounds in a championship fight. It just beat us up, physically and mentally.
"Coming to this week, you've got to get yourself back up come Thursday. I may be a little mentally fatigued but there's no excuse. I've got to focus. I needed to get out there and hit the shots and focus."
As for Friday's round, Day added: "I was playing great and then hit one out-of-bounds. A lot of people don't realise how much the mental side comes into play at this level.
"Right now, I'm sitting in a pretty good position for the weekend. I just got to keep doing what I'm doing."
He also mentioned the difficult conditions at this coastal venue: "It was gusting a good 20 to 30 mph at times and then all of a sudden it would just drop to nothing.
"So it was all about trying to pick the right gust to hit on, being patient enough to stick it out some times."
A lot of people don't realise how much the mental side comes into play at this level.
As for Chappell and Hoffman, both posted three-under par 68s, while joint first-round leader Luke Donald - without a PGA Tour title in more than four years - is one shot off the pace following a level par 71.
His only dropped shots came at the par-three 14th where he suffered a double-bogey.
"I felt like I didn't quite have it today," Donald said. "Especially on the front nine. I was searching a little bit in my swing.
"But I really grinded it out pretty well, got some good up-and-downs and played a really solid front nine coming in."
The other joint-leader from Thursday, Branden Grace, struggled to a 74 and is now tied-for-21st, four shots adrift of the three pacesetters.
