Disappointment Strikes: One Misstep Halts Jason Day’s Quest for $6.35m as PGA Tour Drought Persists

Australian golf legend Jason Day was on the verge of claiming his first PGA Tour title in almost two years until a stray fairway shot went awry at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Having previously triumphed at this tournament in 2016, Day found himself just two strokes behind leader Collin Morikawa as he made a strong push during Monday’s final round.

After landing his tee shot on the par-5 16th squarely in the middle of the fairway, Day was left with 192 yards to the green.

The 37-year-old took his time considering his options, prompting on-course analyst Smylie Kaufman to comment on the situation.

“One significant issue for Jason Day is that he has some mud clinging to the back of his golf ball,” Kaufman noted.

“This is enough to make him ponder whether it will cause the ball to veer left or right—I’m not really sure myself either,” he added.

“He’s got a 6-iron in his hands; I suspect this will be a three-quarter shot,” said Kaufman.

Commentator Dan Hicks remarked on Day’s misfortune regarding the mud on the Bay Hill course.

“It’s surprising he found mud, given how firm these fairways are,” Hicks remarked.

“He must have hit one of the very few soft spots on the fairway.”

As Day sought to make up strokes over the final holes to place himself in contention for the $6.35 million winner’s prize, he unfortunately shanked his shot into the water.

“Wow,” Hicks commented, “I can’t tell if that was all mud, or a result of a poor swing coupled with the mud. He was one-handing it before he even looked up, suggesting a mishit as well.”

“That has to affect your mindset, doesn’t it? Seeing that little bit of mud instils a sense of uncertainty,” he added.

Sadly, Day double-bogeyed the hole, slipping from two shots behind to four, which eventually expanded to five as Russell Henley edged out Morikawa for the title.

Day had been in third place at the time of his mishap—a position that would have earned him $2.2 million had he maintained it.

Instead, he finished in a tie for eighth, walking away with just over $1 million.

The Paris Olympian has secured 13 victories on the PGA Tour over a span of 15 years, but it’s been since May 2023 that he last celebrated a win at the Byron Nelson.