LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) – With a chance to make history, Jason Day made par instead on the final hole of his rain-delayed first round for a career-best 61 and a four-shot lead at the BMW Championship.
Day returned to Conway Farms early Friday needing to hole a 44-yard wedge shot from the rough for an eagle and a PGA Tour record-tying 59. His low-running pitch into the ninth green skidded to a stop 10 feet short of the cup. He then lipped out the birdie attempt.
His 10-under total left him clear of a pack of five players at 65, including Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson and newcomer Daniel Berger. Storms forced suspension of the opening round late Thursday afternoon with 52 of the 69 players still on the course.
Day is the No. 1 player in the FedEx Cup playoff race. His best round on tour had been 62 – a number he posted three times previously, all this season.