Jason Day Wins First PGA Tour Event In Five Years At Byron Nelson

The Australian picked up his first PGA Tour title in five years, as he claimed the AT&T Byron Nelson

Day walks off the 18th green after holing the winning putt
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The final round of the AT&T Byron Nelson gave viewers an extremely enthralling watch, with multiple players in contention throughout at TPC Craig Ranch. However, after a nine-under-par final round of 62, it was Jason Day who came out on top, as he picked up his first PGA Tour title since May 2018.

Throughout the final day, more than 11 golfers could have laid claim to the trophy, with seven players tied for the lead heading into the back nine. At the end of play though, it was the Australian who landed the decisive blow, with Day securing the title on Mother's Day, just a year after his mother unfortunately passed away with cancer.

Going into the final day, the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Tyrrell Hatton were in contention, but it was actually Zecheng Dou, Austin Eckroat and Ryan Palmer who shared a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard.

Both Dou and Eckroat were in search of their first PGA Tour titles and, out of the blocks, it was the duo who pulled away through five holes, with Dou standing at 19-under and Eckroat at 18-under. Just a few holes later though, the pair would slightly slip up, allowing for the chasing pack to pull into contention.

Going into the back nine, 18 players were within two shots of the lead and, during the early stages of the back nine, that number wasn't moving. One thing that was noticeable though was that experience was showing, as Scheffler, Day and Si Woo Kim rose to the top of the congested leaderboard.

Si Woo Kim walks on the fairway after a birdie

Kim produced his fourth Top 10 of 2022-23 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Day though found an extra gear and, after back-to-back birdies at the 14th and 15th, he found himself top by two. Things were far from over though, with Kim keeping hot on his heels with birdies at the 14th and 16th.

As both parred the 17th, it would come down to the par 5 18th, with Day holding a one shot advantage. As both struck their drives, it was advantage Kim, with Day forced to lay-up and Kim finding the greenside bunker. However, the Australian would play a stunning third, with both men making birdies to remain in identical circumstances.

Day was now just one group away from the winner's circle, with his 23-under score one shot better than Kim. The 35-year-old still had to wait on Eckroat though, who could eagle the 18th to force a playoff.

Thankfully, for Day, the American couldn't convert his lengthy eagle putt at the last and, as a result, Day picked up his first PGA Tour victory in 1,835 days, with the win his 13th of his career. What's more, the round of 62 tied his career-low final-round score on the PGA Tour.

Matt Cradock
Staff Writer

Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.

Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.

Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?

Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°

Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°

Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°

Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°

Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x