New Day dawns after US Open near-miss

Jason Day of Australia stands on the tenth green during the final round of the 113th U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club on June 16, 2013 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)

Jason Day discovered something about himself while battling down the back nine for a major title at the US Open two weeks ago, finding himself in a comfort zone he had never felt before.

The 25-year-old Australian, among the favourites in the $6.5 million US PGA National that opens on Thursday, says that after four top-three finishes in his 11 major starts, that change might be what he needs for a major breakthrough.

“The US Open, it was surprising how comfortable I was in the last round,” Day said Wednesday. There was a little bit of nerves at the start, but other than that, I felt really comfortable.

“When you go out there, you’ve just got to feel like it’s kind of neutral, not too high, not too low. That’s kind of what my mentality was out there when I was playing the final round.

“I’m hoping that’s what it feels like if I’m close this week again. Hopefully, that’s what it feels like in the final round, but it felt like I just kind of turned a corner, which is nice, in my golfing career.”

Day shared second at the 2011 Masters and US Open and third at the Masters last April before sharing second behind England’s Justin Rose in the US Open at Merion, becoming the only player in the top 10 at this year’s first two majors.

Day, who made bogeys at 16 and 17 at Augusta National to miss out on a playoff with Angel Cabrera and eventual winner Adam Scott, won his only PGA title at the 2010 Byron Nelson Championship.

“Although I’ve only won once, I’ve come very close a few times now,” Day said when asked how soon he might win again. “I think it’s close.

“I think the biggest thing for me was just trying to feel comfortable in my own shoes out here. Everyone talks about that comfort level. It has always taken me a little bit to feel comfortable. I think it’s coming along nicely.”

Day failed to capitalise on his solid 2011 major showing, in part because he became a father last year, but has five top-10 finishes this year and is ready for extra work he said would have brought him more wins by now had he done it.

“I feel like I should have won more, but I have a feeling if I can get past this hurdle and turn the corner and win, I feel like within myself I can win multiple times a year,” Day said.

“If I had worked a little harder, if I put that extra ball or extra 30 minutes in chipping or putting, I might have got me one or two extra by now.

“I’ve been working hard this year. I came off a pretty average year last year and I’m a lot more motivated this year, which has been good, and the results have shown in the first half of the season.”

Day takes more from his major near misses this year than from his 2010 Byron Nelson victory.

“Probably the close calls I’ve had at Merion and Augusta, just knowing that I can play against the best players in the world with everyone watching around the world, knowing that I can step up and hit the shots at the right time, it brings a lot of confidence to my game that everything that I’ve been doing in the off weeks is paying off,” Day said.

Day is confident coming into this week’s event at Congressional Country Club, where he finished second to Rory McIlroy in the 2011 US Open.

“This course, it feels like a US Open again,” Day said. “It has got some length to it and the rough is pretty dense out there. Hitting fairways is crucial this week and short game around the greens is very big as well.”