CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jason Day is determined. He’s proved it throughout his career, starting with his hardscrabble upbringing in Australia. That focus may have flagged last year as he dealt with his mother’s cancer diagnosis and the symptoms of burn-out, but Day has gone to great lengths to prove that he has regained his fire. When asked for an illustration of this renewed vigor, he pointed to his preseason training sessions in the California desert. “I remember getting there early in the morning and leaving at 7 at night,â€� Day said Sunday evening after winning the Wells Fargo Championship. “After a good long day of practice, I hit the gym, then I’m doing my exercises, making sure I’m really doing everything I possibly can to rededicate myself to getting back to No. 1.â€� Day’s hard work is paying off. His win at the Wells Fargo Championship moved him to No. 2 in the FedExCup standings. The victory didn’t come without trials that tested his determination, though. He built a three-shot advantage after birdies at Nos. 7, 8 and 10. His lead was gone after back-to-back bogeys at 13 and 14, though. His drive into the water at the short par-4 14th was indicative of his ball-striking struggles throughout Sunday. “I was battling demons there inside my head,â€� he said. “Your subconscious takes over. You’re saying, ‘You can’t do it. You can’t do it. You’re going to fail. You’re going to fail.’ You somehow have to just get rid of those thoughts and just push forward.â€� He did, with birdies at 16 and 17. The 223-yard, par-3 17th was Sunday’s hardest hole, playing more than a half-stroke over par, but he hit the flagstick with his tee shot and made just the third birdie of the day there. Day is known for his ability to launch golf balls into orbit, but it is his superior short-game that allows him to grind out pars on difficult courses like Quail Hollow. He returned to the Wells Fargo Championship for the first time since 2012 because of how hard the renovated course was at last year’s PGA Championship. This week, Day scrambled well enough to lead the field in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green. He made just seven bogeys despite hitting only 41 of 72 greens in regulation. He hit into 16 greenside bunkers this week but got up-and-down 15 times. He was second in Strokes Gained: Putting this week, as well. “It gives you all the confidence in the world sometimes,â€� Day said about his short game. “It doesn’t matter how bad you hit it, you know that in the back of your mind you’re going to walk off with par. “That’s the biggest equalizer of all time is the putting and chipping.â€� He’s proved that this season. He’s won twice, and finished no worse than T22 in seven individual stroke-play events, despite ranking 169th in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green. He said his short game may be even better than when he won at TPC Sawgrass two years ago. He leads the TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting, just as he did in his three-win season of 2016. When asked how he got his putting touch back, he said, “To be honest, I just bust my tail. I think the biggest thing is actually my desire’s back and I really want to hole a lot of putts.â€� Day called last season “a kick in the butt.â€� He watched his peers have success while he was struggling through his first winless season since 2013. He had won nine times in the previous three seasons, including a major (2015 PGA Championship), THE PLAYERS, two World Golf Championships and two FedExCup Playoffs events. He wasn’t envious of others’ victories. He was disappointed in himself for not maximizing his talent during the years when most players are in their prime. “For me to not work as hard as I should be … that really bugged me,â€� he said. Now he arrives at THE PLAYERS with two wins under his belt, just as he did in 2016. His iron play may be cause for concern at the penal PLAYERS Stadium Course, though. Ten of the past 14 PLAYERS champions have ranked inside the top 10 in Strokes Gained: Approach for the week, and only one ranked outside the top 20. Day was 50th in that statistic at Quail Hollow. This was just his third event with a new set of irons, which he put in the bag at Augusta National. Even though he won with the prior set, he felt that he was hitting them too high and with too much spin. “Once I get a little bit more practice with them, get a little bit more confidence with them, I think it’s right there,â€� he said. “I definitely think it’s just around the corner, it’s not too far.â€� There’s no reason to doubt a determined Day. Â
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