08 Mar 2021 | Professional golf |

Aussies on tour: March 8

by PGA of Australia

2021 Jason Day Bay Hill_image
Jason Day launching a drive at Bay Hill. Photo: Getty

Jason Day has accepted that there are areas of him game that need tightening up if he is to break a winless drought that is now stretching close to three years.

Positioned just outside the top 10 heading into the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Day’s Sunday started to come unstuck at the hole that champion Bryson DeChambeau made his own this week, the par-5 sixth.

As DeChambeau had the Florida fans roaring with his cross-lake tee shot that on Sunday finished just 88 yards short of the hole at the 565-yard par 5, Day found the water with his driver on his way to a double-bogey.

Four bogeys on the back nine added up to a final round of 7-over 79 and a tie for 31st, still the best finish of any of the Aussies at Bay Hill Club and Lodge, but with recognition that he has work to do before he returns to the winner’s circle.

“It feels really close to playing some good golf, but I feel like I got a lot of work to do before I can really believe that I can kind of win out here again,” Day said.

“And I'm not saying that in a negative way at all, I just feel like there's a few areas of my game that just need to be tightened up and it's not that far away.

“I don't have any issues with my body so there's no excuses in regards to that. I can go out and work as hard as I can. I can putt as long as I want to, which is great.

“Overall, I think it's been moving in the right direction, which has been a plus.

“I’ve just got to focus on what I've been doing great and just try and tighten up the areas that I need to tighten up and then get back to winning. That's all I can focus on.”

The 2016 champion at Bay Hill, Day returns to another tournament venue where he has had success this week, TPC Sawgrass for the THE PLAYERS Championship a year on from when the TOUR was forced to shut down due to the looming threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Kind of a whirlwind year to be honest. It's kind of crazy that it's already been a year. But also it feels like it's been a long year as well,” Day said, the TOUR suspending the season prior to the second round of THE PLAYERS last year.

“I think everyone is excited to get back to the PLAYERS Championship next week. I think everyone's just excited to get back and play it again and I heard it's in tremendous condition.

“I'm excited to get back.”

Coming on the back of her best LPGA Tour finish on US soil, Sarah Kemp was once again the pick of the Aussie girls at the LPGA Drive On Championship, recording her best round of the week in the final round to finish tied for 34th.

After a strong start Katherine Kirk struggled on Sunday, starting with three straight bogeys on her way to a 5-over 77.

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PGA TOUR

Arnold Palmer Invitational

Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Florida

Won by Bryson DeChambeau at -11 by one shot

T31 Jason Day, 70-72-68-79—289 T49 Danny Lee, 73-71-71-77—292 MC Matt Jones, 76-72—148 MC Cameron Davis, 76-72—148 MC Cameron Percy, 72-76—148 MC Marc Leishman, 74-75—149

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LPGA TOUR

LPGA Drive on Championship

Golden Ocala Golf Club, Ocala, Florida Won by Austin Ernst (USA) at -19 by five strokes

T8          Lydia Ko, 69-72-72-71—284 T34        Sarah Kemp, 72-72-74-71—289  T48        Katherine Kirk, 69-72-73-77—291 MC         Sarah Jane Smith, 77-78—155

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