The Australian wins his first PGA Tour title in five years at Byron Nelson. A year after losing his mum Dening to cancer and tumbling outside the top 100, Day denied Scottie Scheffler the chance to return to world No 1 in a tense Sunday shootout at TPC Craig Ranch.
Day fired a brilliant bogey-free final-round nine-under-par 62 to secure a steely one-shot win over Si Woo Kim (63) and American Austin Ekroat (65).
Kim’s countryman CT Pan (62) was fourth at 21 under, with Scheffler (65) ultimately finishing fifth three shots back after being unable to stay with Day down the stretch.
Kim birdied the last to briefly join Day atop the leaderboard but the Queenslander held his nerve to respond and deliver his wife Ellie – greenside and heavily pregnant with the couple’s fifth child – her own priceless Mother’s Day gift.
Day won his first PGA Tour title at the 2010 Byron Nelson, then held at a different course in Dallas.
He started the final round at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney in a tie for fourth, two shots behind the leading trio of Eckroat, Ryan Palmer and Zecheng Dou.
He hit four birdies on the front nine to move into a share of the lead, taking it outright with his sublime chip on the 12th.
A superb approach shot gave Day a simple two-foot birdie chance which he duly converted to take the clubhouse lead.
His victory was confirmed when Eckroat could not hit an eagle on the last.
Day will look to win his second major title when this year’s PGA Championship in New York begins on Thursday.
But the 2016 PGA Championship winner’s resilience is now paying off, with Day among the hottest players on the planet once more.
He posted six top-10 finishes this year and eight consecutive top-20s before an untimely bout of vertigo cruelled his Masters’ chances.
As well as the trophy, the 35-year-old pocketed a cheque for $US1.7m ($A2.6m) after snapping his 1835-day title drought.
World number two Scottie Scheffler, who started the final round level with Day, threatened with four birdies on the front nine.
But he could not keep up the pace, carding a six-under 65 to finish in a tie for fifth alongside England’s Tyrrell Hatton and China’s Dou.
My Goat Sports 