2014 US PGA Tour Championship Preview: Leaderboard
JASON DAY is obviously not feeling 100 percent following his back injury on the weekend but has declared himself a starter in the US PGA Tour Championship in Atlanta this week.
The top ranked Aussie FedEx Cup player was forced to withdraw from the BMW Championship on the weekend but came through a light practice session at the East Lake Golf Club on Tuesday.
Day, touch wood, was confident the body would hold up and give him a chance at the US$10 million FedEx bonus up for grabs this week.
Adam Scott, John Senden and Geoff Ogilvy are the other Aussies in the 29 man season ending final. (Dustin Johnson qualified but is on special leave.)
“My preparation isn’t what I would like it to be and that is a little frustrating but I will be ready to give it a crack come Thursday,” said Day, who struggled back from a hand injury hampering much of his year only to have the problem shift elsewhere.
“There are some issues with the back I have to take care of but they can wait till Monday and the off-season. Right now I am focussed and determined to win the FedEx Cup.”
Day, ranked 10th in the cup standings, would need to win in Atlanta and have No.1 ranked Chris Kirk finish fifth or worse, Billy Horschel (No.2) finish in a three-way tie for third or worse, Bubba Watson (No.3) finish in a three-way tie for second or worse and Rory McIlroy (No.4) finish T2 or worse.
But the 26 year old world No.8 believes he has a shot.
“This is the most nervous I have ever been coming into this event,” Day said. “In the past I probably didn’t fully believe enough I was ready to win it all but now I know deep down inside I have a legitimate chance to win. I just feel I am at a point where I can contend, and win, at this level when I play my best.”
Scott looking to end the US season with a bang
Adam Scott wasn’t thinking of the complicated scenarios he needs to take the bonus, instead focussing on addressing his recent trend of shooting one “average” round in recent tournaments and cruelling his chances.
Scott has turned in one poor round out of four in each of his last six starts since the British Open, seeing him continually finish in the top 15 or so, but keeping him of the podium and “stuck” at world No.2.
“We are playing golf at the highest level and the bad round has shot me out of the tournaments,” Scott said.
“I have failed to keep momentum and I am off to slower starts and fighting to come back.
“While there is so much that goes into a tournament and to have it all line up is tough, it is also no excuse.
“That’s why I feel I really need to come out hard and find four rounds this week, my last four of the (US tour) season. I don’t get any more so I have to perform this week.”
The way the Tour Championship is structured, if any one of the top five wins the US$1.4 million tournament, they automatically take the FedEx Cup and the obscenely large cheque that goes with it.
All 29 have at least a mathematical chance of winning, but outside the to five they have to rely on other results.
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