Even with someone like Jordan Spieth right on his tail on the final day of the PGA Championship, I somehow got the feeling that it was going to be Jason Day’s day. And that feeling only got stronger the moment he stepped on to the first tee and whacked one of his several impressive and mighty drives.
I say that because almost every golf fan I spoke to on the eve of the final round expected Day to choke and lose the tournament. The stats obviously supported that view — the Aussie could not get the job done despite coming close on several occasions in the past in major championships.
I see it very differently though. Nine top-10s in 19 majors in what has really been a very short career so far is extremely impressive. You’ve got to be extremely talented and lucky to win a major so early in your career. How good a player you are should be very evident by how you play in the first 63 holes in the ‘Big Four’. After that, the planets need to align a bit.
Honestly, Day should have won the 2011 Masters — the first time he contended on the back nine of a major championship. He closed with birdies on the 17th and 18th for a 276, which should have been good most years, but was denied by Charl Schwartzel, who amazingly birdied the last four holes to beat him by two shots.
But, back to the first tee on Sunday at Whistling Straits and why I thought it was going to be different. There was a calmness on Day’s face that somehow yelled back at the thousands of partisan Spieth fans following the group that he wasn’t intimidated by the surroundings and was comfortable. And then he followed his pre-shot routine in a very assured manner, which, for me, is a great indicator of any player showing signs of nerves.
There was no way he was going to choke. If he was to lose, it would have only been to an insanely good round of golf by Spieth, or anyone else in the chasing pack.
There’s a lot to talk about from the tournament, like Spieth’s ascension to the top of the world ranking, but let me save it for another day and instead focus on the amazing outing that the tournament was for my fellow Indian, Anirban Lahiri.
I thought the young man was exemplary in handling the unique pressures of a major in finishing tied fifth. He eschewed mistakes and, when he did make one, he bounced back well. I am sure this is just the start of an incredible journey for him.
Anirban broke my record of best ever finish in a major by an Indian, and I am delighted he did. Records are meant to be broken and this shows progress for Indian golf. That makes me happier rather than have my name against a record.
I wish Anirban all the best in the future and hope he will soon be hoisting a major trophy on a Sunday evening.
— Jeev Milkha Singh is a four time champion on the European Tour
