Jason Day´s strong finish seals Wells Fargo win
Jason Day clinched the Wells Fargo Championship with a strong finish after a stuttering final round on Sunday.
The world number 14 began the day with a two-stroke lead and, early on, looked set for a comfortable stroll to victory at Quail Hollow as he birdied the second.
But an inconsistent Day slowed down on the back nine when he bogeyed both the 13th and 14th to hand Aaron Wise – a surprise challenger, chasing his first PGA Tour title – an unlikely share of the lead.
However, the Australian’s recovery was sublime. One birdie was followed by another after an astounding tee shot hit the pin on the 17th, with a par on the final hole sealing a comfortable triumph.
“What I did today was a bit out of the ballpark, in terms of off the tee,” Day acknowledged after carding a two-under 69 to finish at 12 under.
Not your typical 7-iron from 230 yards …
It hits the flag! Miraculous.@JDayGolf now leads by 2. #LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/s4C5snlJZP
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 6, 2018
Wise carded a three-under 68 – his third of the week – for his best career finish, two shots back in second, tied with Nick Watney.
It was a disappointing week for Tiger Woods, meanwhile, as he ended on two over after a birdie-less final round.
The 42-year-old is already looking forward to next week and The Players Championship, though, where he will tee off with fellow former champions Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler.
“It’s just one of those weeks, and now I’m on to the next week, which is nice,” he said. “That’s one of the great things about golf: once the tournament is over, you’re on to next week.”
Having not played at the @WellsFargoGolf in six years, it really meant a lot to me to receive so much love and support from the fans all week. I won’t forget it, thanks again Charlotte.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) May 6, 2018
Rory McIlroy enjoyed a stronger weekend – finishing at three under, despite three bogies down the back nine – but he is also looking to improve at Sawgrass.
He concluded: “I felt as if my game improved as the week went on – hopefully I can build upon that next week, tighten a few areas up.”
