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By now you've seen the image. Jason Day, one of golf's finest active players to never win a major, stumbling and ultimately collapsing on the 9th hole during Round 2 of the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay.
The reason: vertigo.
His agent, Bud Martin, clarified the situation Friday:
“Jason was diagnosed to have suffered from Benign Positional Vertigo. He was treated locally by Dr. Robert Stoecker and Dr. Charles Souliere and is resting comfortably. His condition is being monitored closely and he is hopeful he will be able to compete this weekend in the final rounds of the U.S. Open."
The condition again impacted Day during Round 3 on Saturday.
"I felt nauseous all day," said the world's 10th ranked golfer following his round, which left him T-1 at 4-under heading into Sunday. "Last year, I (withdrew) after I had vertigo and this one was worse. I think the goal was just to go through today and see how it goes."
The issues was known coming into the US Open, as Day addressed his health prior to the event:
“I feel good," Day said Tuesday. “I had three sleep studies done. I had a lot of blood tests done. I had an MRI on my head and my back and everything came back negative. So I have no idea what that was, other than I just may have been exhausted.”
So what is vertigo, and specifically benign positional vertigo?
According to the Mayo Clinic, it's this:
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common causes of vertigo — the sudden sensation that you're spinning or that the inside of your head is spinning.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo causes brief episodes of mild to intense dizziness. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is usually triggered by specific changes in the position of your head. This might occur when you tip your head up or down, when you lie down, or when you turn over or sit up in bed.
Although benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can be a bothersome problem, it's rarely serious except when it increases the chance of falls. You can receive effective treatment for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo during a doctor's office visit.
The signs and symptoms of BPPV can come and go, with symptoms commonly lasting less than one minute. Episodes of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can disappear for some time and then recur.
Activities that bring about the signs and symptoms of BPPV can vary from person to person, but are almost always brought on by a change in the position of your head. Some people also feel out of balance when standing or walking.
Sounds similar to how Day described his Saturday:
"I felt pretty groggy on the front nine just from the drugs that I had in my system, then kind of flushed that out on the back nine. The vertigo came back a little bit on the 13th tee box, and then felt nauseous all day. I started shaking on 16 tee box and then just tried to get it in, really. Just wanted to get it in."
After finishing second at the US Open in 2011 and 2013, Day not only has the chance to break through and win a major like fellow Aussie Adam Scott did with the 2013 Masters, but do it in historic fashion, ala Ken Venturi in 1964 at Congressional.
Possible comparisons for Jason Day's round: Venturi with dehydration, Tiger with torn ACL or, if you want to change sports, Jordan with flu.
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelESPN) June 21, 2015
One comparison not to make is to Alfred Hitchcock's heights-hating 1958 thriller Vertigo, starring Jimmy Stewart.
