Jason Day leads Bridgestone, goes for multiple WGC-event wins in same year
Jason Day is trying to grind out another WGC win on Sunday at Firestone
Jason Day did not have his best stuff on Saturday at the Bridgestone Invitational. In fact, he didn't even have anything close to his best stuff. Still, he shot a 1-under 69 and is tied for the lead with Scott Piercy heading to the final round at Firestone on Sunday.
"I kind of felt like Mr. Haverkamp out of Caddyshack," Day told CBS' Peter Kostis after hitting just 3-of-14 fairways and losing a stroke to the field off the tee. "I didn't know where my golf ball was."
Day has been pretty average all week in strokes gained with his driver (22nd in the field), but he is more than making it up with the flat stick. Day gained nearly three strokes on his fellow competitors on the greens during Saturday's third round and made eight pars and a birdie coming home on Saturday. It's what the great ones do. If something isn't working (in this case, one of Day's greatest weapons is his driver), they turn to something else.
"The goal is to win the golf tournament," Day told Kostis. "I hit some pretty errant shots, but my short game saved me. There's a lot of negatives you can look at this round. The positive is I'm still tied for the lead, and I haven't hit the golf ball that great this week. "
And still, he leads. He and Piercy are the only two golfers in the field who have shot under par in each of the first three rounds. This isn't unfamiliar territory for Day either. He has converted five straight 54-hole leads or co-leads.
Last 5 times @JDayGolf has held the 54-hole lead/co-lead:
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) July 2, 2016
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There's more too. There are a couple of Tiger Woods-related records Day will chase on Sunday in addition to the Bridgestone trophy and well over a million dollars. Day would jump to second all-time in WGC wins (tied with Geoff Ogilvy with three and behind Tiger Woods who has 18). He would also join Tiger and Phil Mickelson as the only players to win multiple WGC events in the same year (Tiger did it six times). Day won the WGC Match Play Championship earlier this year.
Let's start the Day on the right foot. 👟 https://t.co/XC2JAaIaOE
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 2, 2016
So there's clearly a lot at stake as Day tees it up with Piercy late on Sunday afternoon. Day was asked on Saturday evening if he would try and switch things up after hitting it poorly in the third round and somehow still grinding out that 69.
"I'm pretty exhausted right now," said Day. "I'm hoping I find something in my sleep tonight," he joked. "If I can sharpen the focus a little bit more, hopefully I can go out there tomorrow and free wheel it."
Day has won seven times in his last 19 starts so recent history says that's a pretty good plan.

















