Jason Day’s round at the U.S. Open on Thursday started poorly and then things got worse. A lot worse. After a string of six straight bogeys sent him tumbling down the leaderboard, the former World No. 1 pulled the plug on his day early. The PGA Tour announced Day withdrew from the tournament after just 10 holes, citing a back injury.
The 37-year-old Australian was already seven-over par when he walked off the course at Shinnecock Hills, struggling with both his swing and his body. It wasn’t hard to see something was wrong. Day’s ball-striking looked completely out of sync and even his normally reliable putting couldn’t save him. The six consecutive bogeys — a stretch where nothing went right — made it clear he was fighting more than just the windy conditions and treacherous greens.
This is the latest rough break in what’s been a tough season for Day. He’s made 14 starts this year and only finished inside the top 10 twice. His best result, a T-2 at The American Express, feels like ages ago since it happened back in January. Most recently, he missed the cut at the Memorial Tournament and limped to a T-65 finish at the PGA Championship last month. Day has not won a tournament since the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship, though he’s had flashes of his old form.
Shinnecock Hills Bites Hard — Even the World No. 1 Felt It
Day wasn’t the only one getting chewed up by Shinnecock on Thursday. The course, known for its fast greens and unforgiving rough, lived up to its reputation. High winds made club selection a guessing game and the putting surfaces were so slick that even the best in the world looked ordinary.
Scottie Scheffler, the current World No. 1 and a man chasing the Career Grand Slam this week, had to grind just to shoot 1-over par. That score — a 72 — was a testament to his resilience more than his ball-striking. Scheffler didn’t have his A-game but he scraped and clawed his way around without making a disaster of his round.
At the top of the leaderboard, Wyndham Clark and Dustin Johnson were both sitting at 3-under par through the early stages of their back nines. That is a strong score relative to the field, but with the way Shinnecock was playing, there was no guarantee it would hold up.
Day’s withdrawal leaves a hole in the field and raises more questions about his health heading into the summer. He hasn’t said much publicly yet about the severity of the injury or whether it will affect his schedule going forward. But watching him struggle through those 10 holes was tough to watch. Sometimes a golfer just can’t fight through it, and Thursday was one of those days.
Leave a Comment