Steve Sands on television with Jason Day after his historic 63! Photo Credit: NBC Sports/Golf Channel
Seeing Jason Day shoot a record-tying 63 on the Stadium Course in Round One of the 2016 PLAYERS Championship recording nine birdies and nine pars was amazing. He went on to win in wire-to-wire fashion and maintained his World Number One ranking. As good as when I saw Henrik Stenson shot a bogey-free 66 on Sunday to win in 2009.
Day was paired with Jordan Spieth, playing for the first time since a triple bogey 7 on the 12th cost him his second green jacket at Augusta National a month ago, and Branden Grace who won for the first time on the PGA TOUR at the RBC Heritage the week after The Masters. Here are my Facebook posts and pictures from Jason Day’s memorable day!
With my buddy & PLAYERS Tee Announcer Stokes Hill just before Jason Day teed off on the 10th tee.
9:46 am Round 1 2016 PLAYERS… following Day Spieth Grace… off 10 announced by my buddy Stokes Hill… Day birdie birdie birdie start… Spieth & Grace even all pars!
10:30 am Thru 6 holes, Day has cooked off, still -3… Spieth still all pars but hole high on 15… Grace crash & burn on 15 taking 4 greenside to get it in the hole, looked like me! Yeah Ernie Els!
11:28 am Thru 9… Spieth awakens with 2 putt birdie on 16… Day responds with duece on 17… Grace snake bitten, closest on 17 but rims out birdie putt… Day -4, Spieth -E, Grace +2… remembering Spieth historic win in Australia… G’day for Spieth Down Under, Record 63 Wins Australian Open!
Always a lot of fun to be at THE PLAYERS, never know who you will meet outside the ropes!
12:20 pm Thru 12 holes… took a little break at the turn… caught up with group at 3 tee… Day birdied 1 & 2… loses the honor when Spieth & Grace deuce No. 3 and he pars… exciting round of golf!
The last two posts coming later from home after my cell phone batteries died.
2:45 pm Thru 15 holes… it’s Day’s day, not so much Spieth’s as he bogeys 5 & 6…
4:29 pm Wow, what a round of golf by Jason Day… ties record low 18-hole score of 9-under par 63 by 4 others… Fred Couples Rd. 3 in 1992 (T13 finish to Davis Love III win), Greg Norman Rd. 1 1994 (won by 4 strokes), Roberto Castro Rd. 1 2013 (T19 finish to Tiger’s win), Martin Kaymer Rd. 1 2014 (won by 1 stroke)… tragic ending for Spieth, double bogeys the last shoot even par 72… ditto score for Grace who double bogeyed the 15th earlier in the day. Memorable PLAYERS in progress…
It was a spectacular day at TPC Sawgrass for Round One of the 2016 PLAYERS!
Jason Day is now in the record books of THE PLAYERS Championship tying the previous record low 18-hole score of 63 by Fred Couples (1992 Rd. 3, finish T10 to David Love III’s 1st of 2 PLAYERS win (also 2003)); Greg Norman (1994 Rd. 1, Won); Roberto Castro (2013 Rd. 1, finish T19 to Tiger Woods’ 2nd PLAYERS win); Martin Kaymer (Rd. 1 2014, Won); and then being tied by Colt Knost in Rd. 2 (T3 finish) and nearly Rory McIlroy who bogeyed his last (par-5 No. 9) to shoot 64 (T12 finish).
Here are the 85 pictures I took during Jason Day’s historic Round One at the 2016 PLAYERS:
