Jason Day Was Almost Great on Friday, Now He Faces an Uphill Weekend at Augusta
AUGUSTA, Ga. — It was too early to think about winning the Masters. It was early Friday afternoon in the second round, but after a birdie at the par-5 13th hole Jason Day was at 9 under par for the tournament and three shots back of the leader, Brooks Koepka. The 35-year-old Australian knows his way around the leaderboard at Augusta National. As a Masters rookie in 2011, he had a tie for second. Two years later, when he finished third at the Masters, he also had top 10s at the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship, which he won in 2015. That year he became No. 1 in the world.
But this is 2023 and after struggling for years with a lingering back condition it’s a wonder that he’s still competing at this level. Yet there he was standing on the 15th tee in second place at the 87th Masters. Then he hit his third shot fat into the water at the par 5 and took a double bogey on what was the second easiest hole of the day. From there he lost two more shots to finish with an even-par 72 for the round and two-day total of 5 under par after a first round 67.
“I'm actually very disappointed with how I finished,” Day said. “Being decently close to where Brooks was going into the weekend, you never know how it goes, and obviously going from 9 to 5 was a bit of a kick in the gut.”
On Friday, Day was almost great. Augusta National can build you up and tear you down. The four par 5s, which always rank as the easiest holes on the course, promise birdies. On Friday, Day went 1 over on those holes. The last four Masters winners have gone a combined 40-under on the par 5s.
When Alistair McKenzie and Bobby Jones designed the course in the early 1930s, they wanted the par 5s to be reachable with two excellent shots. That can still happen at the 13th hole, where the club built a new tee box to lengthen the hole to 545 yards, but the approach into the green could be a lot more difficult.
“I certainly look forward on Sunday to having someone in competition with a 3- or 4-iron in their hand or even a hybrid hitting their shot into the 13th hole rather than an 8-iron,” said Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley on Wednesday.
At the par-5 15th hole in the second round, Day had 82 yards into the pin for his third shot after laying up. “I'm trying to hit 30 yards off a 60 [degree wedge] on a pretty severe downslope, and you're trying to hit it pretty clean so you can get some spin on it,” he said. “It's really difficult to take a lot of distance off a 60 and you're trying to elevate it, too. I just hit it completely fat, unfortunately. I felt like the swing itself was good if I just hit it clean.”
The Masters is full of these swings of momentum. Day knows he’s not out of the tournament, but he understands that he has to take advantage of the par 5s on the course if he wants to win. Koepka is going to be tough to catch if he continues his play on the par 5s. On Friday, he went 5 under on the par 5s, including an eagle at the 8th hole. Through two rounds, the four-time major winner is 8 under on the par 5s. “You've got to make birdies on these par 5s, take advantage of them,” Koepka said after his second round. And I did a good job of that.”
On Friday afternoon with many afternoon groups yet to begin their rounds and with rain on the forecast, Day admitted that he was happy about his return to the Masters after not qualifying for the field last year, but that his finish had dampened some enthusiasm. “I've just got to give myself time,” he said. “I've just got off the golf course and I'm thoroughly annoyed with myself.”
Day says he has to keep the focus on his game and not Koepka, who focuses on winning major championships.
“It just all depends on how [Brooks] plays,” Day said. “Seven shots is a long way. But there's still 36 holes to go. I'm just going to focus on hitting the best shot I can at the time and then add them up after the next few days.”