Jason Day won't sit back with huge lead at BMW
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — It’s rather obvious there's only one obstacle remaining between Jason Day and his quest to wrap up his fifth PGA Title of the year today in the final round of the BMW Championship.
Himself.
“It’s his to lose,” said J.B. Holmes, who has fired 70-65-67 at soggy Conway Farms Golf Club and still trails Day by nine shots. “Somebody is going to have to play really well and he's going to have to mess up. If he continues to play well or probably even just shoots even, he's probably going to win.
“We've just got to go out there and try to make some birdies, but don't force it because it's hard to go out and shoot 10 under, especially if you're trying to push it. It's just kind of one of those things that tends to happen.”
Day, who has won three of his last five starts, has shot 61-63-69 to reach 20 under and leads Scott Piercy and Daniel Berger by six shots. Rory McIlroy is seven back and Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Kevin Na are eight back.
Day is going so well right now – both on and off the golf course – that the pressure of holding onto a six-shot lead doesn’t have him sweating.
The course is soft and Day is red-hot. He opened the door a bit in Saturday’s third round when he hit a ball out of bounds on the 13th hole and made a few other mistakes coming in. Yet he still shot 69.
He will not be in protection mode in the final 18 holes.
“Just trying to push forward, trying to push further. Just trying to extend that lead is the mindset,” Day said. “Trying to defend is no good. Extending the lead is much better because if you do falter then you'll have a buffer. But I'm just trying to go out there and I'm going to try and commit better. I'm going to try and trust myself a little bit better, and I'm hoping it happens.
“ … If it happens, it happens. If I do win, great; if I don't, then who cares? I mean, things happen. To have a six-shot lead and to lose would definitely suck, but I know I'm going to have more opportunities at winning. I'm not going to win all of them, but right now I've just got to go out and try and extend that lead.”
PHOTOS: BMW Championship