Major Glory for Jason Day Closer Than Ever After White-Hot Putting Display

Not everyone is Jordan Spieth or Tiger Woods.

While those two broke out at Augusta as 21-year-olds and were multiple winners soon after, it takes most of the other guys a little bit longer to become established as major commodities.

So, toward that end, perhaps it’s better to liken Jason Day to Phil Mickelson.

Though Lefty turned pro with a tour win already under his belt, it took a while—12 years, in fact—for him to finally pick up one of the four most sought-after trophies in 2004.

He’s added four more trinkets to the mantel since then, and the enhanced reputation those wins create makes it difficult to remember when he was burdened with the “best player to never win a major” tag.

By this time Sunday night, it could be the beginning of the end for Day’s tenure as well.

"

One more to go. Can't wait. #PGAChampionship pic.twitter.com/Xshv4QjxQQ

— Jason Day (@JDayGolf) August 16, 2015"

The six-under-par 66 he shot Saturday continued progress from Thursday’s 68 and Friday’s 67, and it provided a two-shot cushion heading into the final round of the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

He’ll share a Sunday pairing with the aforementioned Spieth, who birdied six of the final eight holes to give himself a chance at a first “American Slam”—winning the Masters, U.S. Open and PGA Championship in one year.

But it still wasn’t enough to overtake Day, who holds or shares the tournament lead in eagles (2), longest drive (374 yards), strokes gained tee to green (14.753) and strokes gained total (16.718) through 54 holes, while also standing second in birdies (18) and greens in regulation (77.78 percent).

And the separation on Saturday came largely with the putter.

Day’s third round featured just 23 putts overall and one-putts on 13 of 18 greens—including three birdies between 11 and 18 feet, one from better than 26 feet and an eagle from 13 feet, two inches.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

“Everyone’s trying to win, and I’ve got to do the best I can to stay out of my own way,” he told CBS’ Bill Macatee, after a round that featured eight birdies and an eagle, alongside two bogeys and a double bogey. “Stay out of my own way and just let things happen and be patient with myself.”

The 27-year-old Aussie surely got to lakefront Wisconsin chock full of weekend-television street cred, having four tour wins, seven runner-ups and 43 top-10s since becoming a full-time pro in 2006.

Still, despite $21.8 million in career earnings, he’s known more for what he’s not done than what he has.

It seemed Day’s major history would read far differently based on early results, when he tied for 10th at Whistling Straits in the 2010 PGA Championship and briefly shared the lead at the Masters the following spring before finishing tied for second.

But rather than following the auspicious beginning by getting over the top, his subsequent starts have branded him as a guy who’ll always show up for the big moments but never quite seize them.

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

He’s finished ninth or better seven times, including 54-hole leads at the U.S. Open and British Open this year. The former wound up as a tie for ninth after a dizzying battle with vertigo, while the latter was flat-out sorrow after he fell short with a 72nd-hole putt that would have yielded a berth in a playoff.

He won fans following the brave performance at Chambers Bay, but he concedes he won’t fully get over it until the courage comes while sealing the deal on the leaderboard.

Jae Hong/Associated Press

“It's very difficult to try and close on Sunday at a major championship,” Day told a media gathering earlier this week. “I think the more opportunities I give myself, sooner or later it's going to happen. I know that. We're humans out there. It's very easy to make poor choices and have bad swings every now and then. We got so blessed with Tiger and Rory and Jordan that winning looks easy.”

The feel for many is that once Day gets one major under his belt, the next will come faster and he’ll ascend to a position alongside Spieth and Rory McIlroy on golf’s modern Mount Rushmore.

If he can get through Sunday by fighting off the game’s reigning savior, then that future will have arrived.