At the AT&T Byron Nelson on Sunday, Jason Day defeated Austin Eckroat and Si Woo Kim by one shot after shooting a 9-under 62 for his first victory on the PGA TOUR in five years.
Day, who has failed to win in 105 attempts since the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship, claimed the lead for the first time when he chipped in for a birdie at the 12th par-4 to break a tie with hometown favorite Scottie Scheffler at 20 under.
After being changed from a par-5 in the first two years the Nelson was played at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, roughly 30 miles north of Dallas, it became the second-toughest hole of the week.
Playing on Mother’s Day a little more than a year after losing his mom to cancer, Day finished 23 under while ending his victory drought the week before the PGA Championship.
The 2015 PGA was the sole major among the 35-year-old Australian’s 13 victories. In 2010, Day won the Byron Nelson for the first time in his professional PGA TOUR career.
With two eagles on the back nine and a career-low 62, C.T. Pan ended at 21-under 263, driving the green on the 14th par-4 and sinking a 24-foot putt. He closed the gap on Day with an eagle at the 18th par-5 hole.
After parring 18, where a day earlier his second shot hit the lip of a fairway bunker and stayed in it on the way to a bogey, Scheffler ended at 20 under with a final-round 65.
Nearby Craig Ranch resident Ryan Palmer, 46, a Texan, shot 68 and ended four strokes back.
Day hit his approach shot from 18 inside 3 feet as the final few holes of the final round were completed in the heaviest rain. The day had to make his simple tap-in after Kim’s short birdie putt in order to welcome his children and wife, who is currently expecting their fifth child.
Kim, who had a score of 63 and was 22 under with Eckroat, was on the verge of becoming the fourth South Korean to win the Byron Nelson in a row. K.H. Lee, the two-time defending champion, shot a 67, which was his best round of the tournament, to finish 11 under par.
The champion for 2019 was Sung Kang.
Despite being two strokes back in the 18th fairway, Oklahoman rookie Eckroat, 24, was going for his maiden TOUR victory when his approach shot fell 68 feet from the hole. Eckroat settled for a 65 after the eagle bid fell 6 feet short.
Marty Dou of China scored 67 to finish 20 under while competing on his home course and aiming for his maiden TOUR victory.
Until his second shot sailed out of bounds over the green on hole No. 8, he was the first to reach that low.
With a win, Scheffler, the No. 2 player in the world, might have passed Jon Rahm for the top spot. Tyrrell Hatton, who was ranked No. 17 in the Nelson field, was playing alongside Scheffler at 20 under.
