Tacoma, United States: Jason Day gutted out a two-under 68 Saturday to seize a share of the US Open lead, just a day after collapsing on the ninth hole due to an attack of vertigo.
Day, a two-time US Open runner-up in 2011 and 2013, went four under through his final seven holes Saturday, as he battled dizzy spells, nausea and the shakes in Saturday’s third round at Chambers Bay golf course.
“The vertigo came back a little bit on the 13th tee box, and then I felt nauseous all day,” Day said.
“I started shaking on 16 tee box and then just tried to get it in, really. Just wanted to get it in.”
The 27-year-old Queenslander started the day at Chambers Bay golf course just three shots adrift of the overnight leaders in a tie for ninth place and finished it in a four-way deadlock with co-leaders Dustin Johnson, Branden Grace and Jordan Spieth at four-under 206.
Day said he was bothered all round long, first by the drugs the doctors gave him to treat the vertigo and later by nausea from another attack, but it wasn’t enough to stop his assault on the leaderboard.
Many felt he would be lucky just to make it back to the course on Saturday morning let alone tame one of the longest and treacherous courses in major championship history that had already swallowed up the likes of Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler and defending champion Martin Kaymer.
“I felt pretty groggy on the front nine just from the drugs that I had in my system, then kind of flushed that out on the back nine. But then it kind of came back,” he said of the vertigo.
His third round began with a perfect 350-yard drive down the middle of the first fairway and he capped it with back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18. He finished with five birdies, three bogeys and 10 pars.
Day’s caddie Colin Swatton said he was in awe of the lionhearted Aussie’s performance.
“I said to him on 18 that was the greatest round of golf I’ve ever watched,” Swatton told The Seattle Times. “It was a superhuman effort.”
On Friday, the 2011 Masters runner-up hit his tee shot at the par-three ninth into a bunker and then fell to the ground as he made his way down the slope to the lower green.
A medical team took several minutes to revive him before he staggered on, playing his bunker shot and two-putting for a bogey four.
Day has been suffering from vertigo and dizzy spells for the last few months and has pulled out of tournaments before in the last year due to the condition.
“Last year I didn’t play the round after I had vertigo and this one was worse. I think the goal was just to go through today and see how it goes,” said Day, who was born in Beaudesert but now lives in Forest Lake, Queensland.
Day is seeking his first major championship after winning the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines earlier this year.
He said he now needs some rest and would consult with his doctor but expected to be ready to go on Sunday.
“I really gave it all I had out there, but I am extremely fatigued and need a chance to rest and consult with my medical team,” he said.
