Emotional Jason Day snaps 5-year winless streak on Mother’s Day at Byron Nelson

AUSTIN, Texas – Former world No. 1 Jason Day said he had considered giving up golf a couple of years ago, after he ended his five-year title drought with a one-stroke victory at the Byron Nelson tournament in Texas on Sunday.

He tapped in for birdie at the 18th hole to polish off a nine-under 62 and finish on 23-under 261 for the week. When Austin Eckroat (65) failed to make an eagle at the last hole to match Day’s total, the title was Day’s.

Said Eckroat: “Everything was solid, and I really felt like I played well enough to win. It’s just hard to beat a guy who goes out and shoots nine under.”

It was Day’s first win on the Tour since the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship and his 13th overall since he won his maiden title, also at the Byron Nelson, in 2010.

Since his last title win, the Australian has endured illness and injury as well as the pain of watching his mother’s five-year battle with cancer, which ended when she died in 2022.

“It was very emotional to go through and to experience what she was going through, then I had injuries on top of all of that going on in my life,” he added.

“To be honest, I was very close to calling it quits. I never told my wife that, but I was OK with it, just because it was a very stressful part of my life.”

The 35-year-old was briefly reduced to tears after sealing victory on what was Mother’s Day in the United States and celebrating with his wife Ellie, who is expecting the couple’s fifth child.

“Ellie, she never gave up on me trying to get back into the winner’s circle again. She just always was pushing me to try and get better,” he said.

“It feels strange to be sitting here. I don’t know how else to explain it. To go through what I went through and then to be able to be a winner again and be in the winner’s circle is very pleasing.”

South Korea’s Kim Si-woo (63) tied with Eckroat on 262. Chinese Taipei’s Pan Cheng-tsung also shot a 62, featuring eagle putts at the par-four 14th and No. 18, and finished alone in fourth at 263.

Scottie Scheffler, the second-ranked player in the world and the hometown favourite in the Dallas area, rebounded from a middling third round by posting a bogey-free 65. He tied for fifth at 264 with England’s Tyrrell Hatton (64) and China’s Dou Zecheng (67).

The timing of Day’s win could not be better with the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in New York coming up later this week. He won his only Major title at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in 2015.

He hit the top of the leaderboard when he chipped in for a birdie at the 12th hole of the TPC Craig Ranch course and sealed the win when he picked up a ninth shot with a tap-in at the final hole.

“I came into the week after missing last week’s cut, and I was kind of fed up with having to go over like a lot of technical thoughts with my swing,” said Day.

“So I just decided I’m just going to go out and just try and play some golf... For some reason, I just thought that I was going to win the tournament. After this week, I know that I can win,” he said.
REUTERS, AFP