PGA: Day excited about Rory showdown

A second round 65 has booked Queensland's Jason Day a third round pairing with World No.1 and PGA Championship leader Rory McIlroy.

When Jason Day overcame the magician-like short game of Victor Dubuisson to win the WGC Matchplay Championship in February it seemed likely that major title success was just around the corner.

But the 26-year-old has been in a career holding pattern for the past seven months as injury and illness have thwarted each of his attempts at the majors and World Golf Championship events.

It has been a frustrating year for Day … to say the least.

Jason Day fired his second shot into the 18th green during the second round of the PGA Championship. PHOTO: Getty Images

It was during the overtime victory in the Arizona desert that Day injured his left thumb. The constant pain led to him cutting his schedule right back to the extent that this week at Valhalla marks just his eighth tournament since that win. Of those tournament starts he’s missed one cut and had three top-20 finishes in the remaining five he played, including a tie for fourth at the US Open in June. Then, of course, there was his forced withdrawal from the WGC Bridgestone Invitational last week because of vertigo.

His doctor diagnosed that the vertigo was caused by medication he was taking for his thumb injury and a strep throat that has refused to go away. A few days rest near Valhalla saw the vertigo problem subside and Day then made the decision to play the final major of 2014.

Now, the Queenslander sits a stroke out of the lead at eight under after a second round 65 catapulted him up the leaderboard and into a spot in the third day final pairing with World No.1 Rory McIlroy.

Day got off to a hot start with three birdies and an eagle in his opening nine holes to be out in 30 strokes.

His eagle at the par-5 7^th was brilliant. Lying 250 yards from the flag, Day muscled a 1-iron into the green and watched as it rolled to a stop 10-foot from the cup. He duly converted the eagle opportunity with a fine putt.

Near misses for birdie on the 10th and 11th holes appeared to frustrate Day who then dropped a shot at the 15th hole. However, consecutive birdies at the 17^th and 18^th holes shot him straight back into a tie for second and a tee time with McIlroy on Saturday afternoon.

Even Day was surprised with his low score, given he circustances.

“It was a little surprising,” Day said. “Obviously I wasn't expecting it. Just with the poor form that I've had over the last few tournaments that I've played.

“We worked very, very hard last week before I had the vertigo, and then after … when I came in Monday, Monday through Wednesday, did phenomenal preparation. I busted my butt out there.

“But I'm a little surprised that it's kind of turned around so quick, but obviously I've done the right things to get to where I am to be in the top 10 in the world. So it's not my first time that I've been here. And I've hit a million golf balls, a million chips, a million putts and I've done it for a long time. So I'm just happy to be close to the lead coming into the weekend.”

Day is no stranger to seeing his name near the top of the leaderboard. He was runner-up at the 2011 Masters, and he's a two-time runner-up at the US Open, once behind the man he will be playing alongside tomorrow. Overall, Day has seven top-10 finishes in major championships and this is only his 16th start … no wonder he’s excited.

"I'm excited,” he said. “You can't not be excited to be in or around the lead in a major championship. Obviously they are the hardest tournaments to win … I'm looking forward to it.

Rory McIlroy punches air after making an eagle during his second round. PHOTO: Getty Images

“I've been close a lot of times … I just have to keep knocking on the door and hopefully it will fall my way one day. It either hopefully falls my way, or I just knock the door down and take it.”

Day knows it won't be a steal.

McIlroy, who slipped into the halfway lead with a 67 to be at nine under, has not only won his last two tournaments – The Open and the Bridgestone Invitational – and regained the No.1 world ranking, he’s an amazing 41 under par for his last ten rounds.

"I'm clearly not the favorite," Day laughed. "This whole year, he's been playing great. He looks confident. He's hitting the ball longer and straighter than pretty much everyone in the field. It's going to be tough to beat him."

Asked what going close to winning major championships had taught him, Day said: "Just not to be scared about winning. It's OK to feel uncomfortable. ... I've just got to go out there and just embrace being uncomfortable."

While he’s embracing uncomfortable, McIlroy seems just about as comfortable as human could be leading a golf tournament.

McIlroy grimaces after a near miss birdie on the 7th hole of the second round. PHOTO: Getty Images

Just as he was en route to victories at Hoylake and Firestone, the Northern Irishman again appears to be in cruise control. He just calls it “a solid day’s work”.

“Conditions were obviously a little tougher than they were yesterday and especially on our front nine which is the back nine, you needed to stay really patient, because the rain was coming down pretty heavily at times,” the three-time major champion said.

“It was just about managing your game and putting the ball in the fairway and trying to put it somewhere on the green and I was able to make a few birdies on the back nine and to finish off with that eagle on the last was nice.”

McIlroy annihilated the 542-yard par-5 18^th. After smashing his drive 311 yards down the left of the fairway, he smoothed an iron onto the green and holed his eagle putt from 31 feet. Easy as that!

It was enough to have the game’s hottest player at the moment all smiles as he faced the media after this round.

The only time there was a hint of a frown was when he was queried about his remarkable good form since the break up of his engagement to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki.

“Well, I think it has happened to me for the better,” he said.

“I've put a little bit more time into my golf and refocused me in a way. I just immersed myself in my game. I've practiced hard and I've done all the right things, and I'm reaping the rewards.

Rory's smile quickly disappeared when asked about his upturn in form since his engagement break up. PHOTO: Getty Images.

“Obviously there's a lot of people around me who keep me on an even keel. My mum and dad are obviously the two biggest influences on my life and I've got a great bunch of friends from home and I've got a great team around me. You know, they are the people that I confide in and the people that I can tell everything to, and it's great to have a solid bunch of people like that around you that you can rely on.”

And if things couldn’t be anymore ominous for those players chasing him to claim the Rodman Wanamaker Trophy, McIlroy said there are aspects of his game he is only now getting better at.

“I still like bombing drives 350 down the middle,” Rory said with a smile. “Yeah, I think that's when my confidence grows. When I see good shots like that and when I see drives down the middle and tarring iron shots into the greens … that's the way I like to play golf. That's the way I see myself as a player, and that's the sort of golf that I play when I win.

“But obviously there were times out there today where it was pretty scrappy, and those are the times when you have to just get it up-and-down and keep the momentum going in a round. I feel like I'm getting better at that.

“But of course, I still want to play the golf that I like, which is down the middle, on the green and give myself as many chances as possible.”

That’s the kind of game Day will have to play if he’s to keep up with golf’s version of a runaway train.

“Hopefully being able to play with Rory in the last group tomorrow will be fun,” Day said. “I think it will be a good challenge. It will be exciting to watch him play.” Indeed it will.

LEADERBOARD

1. Rory McIlroy (N.Ire) 66-67–133

T2. Jason Day (Qld) 69-65–134

T2. Jim Furyk (US) 66-68–134

T4. Ryan Palmer (US) 65-70–135

T4. Rickie Fowler (US) 69-66–135

ALSO:

T17. Matt Jones (NSW) 68-71–139

T26. Geoff Ogilvy (Vic) 69-71–140

T26. Adam Scott (Qld) 71-69–140

T53. Marc Leishman (Vic) 71-71–142

MISSED CUT (143):