LAKE FOREST, Ill. — As Jason Day’s long eagle putt at the last hole rolled down the hill and toward the cup, every revolution of the ball only added to the sense of inevitability.
When it disappeared into the cup for an 8-under-par 63, a PGA Tour record-tying 36-hole score of 18-under and a five-shot lead at the BMW Championship, Day pumped his fist as playing partners Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler broke into widening grins and then applause.
Their expressions said it all about golf’s man of the moment: Day is making everything that matters.
“I feel like I should be paying to come watch some of this,” said Spieth, who’s tied for fifth at 11-under. “It was special.”
Special enough, anyway, that Day’s closest pursuers, rookie Daniel Berger and Brendon Todd, shot a 64 and a 63, respectively, on a rain-softened Conway Farms layout and still couldn’t make up any ground. Yet Day’s day could have been even more special.
After heavy rain forced a suspension of the FedEx Cup playoff event’s opening round, Day returned to Conway Farms early Friday needing to hole a 44-yard wedge shot for an eagle that would have given him a 59 and tied another PGA Tour record. Instead, he hit a low pitch that skidded to a stop 10 feet from the hole and narrowly missed and settled for a sizzling 61.
“I came in this morning and obviously didn’t shoot 59 and felt like everyone was disappointed in me,” Day said, chuckling.
He was kidding, but just barely. Day has won three times — including his first major, the PGA Championship — and is an aggregate 97-under in tournament play since a narrow miss at the British Open in July.
“I don’t know how else to explain the way I’ve been playing. I feel very free, like there’s no stress. There’s obviously stress,” Day added a moment later, “but I’m enjoying it.”
After shooting a 32 on the front nine to start the second round, the Aussie strung together four birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back, then capped it with a 43-foot putt for his eagle at No. 18.
With little wind and receptive greens and fairways, the field averaged 3-under 68 — and world No. 1-ranked Rory McIlroy said even that seemed generous.
Tiger Woods has second back surgery
With his game ailing, Tiger Woods announced he underwent a second microdiscectomy surgery on his back.
“This is certainly disappointing, but I’m a fighter,” Woods said. “I’ve been told I can make a full recovery, and I have no doubt that I will.”
Woods made the announcement on his website — — and reported the microsurgical procedure — intended to relieve pain from a pinched nerve — was performed late Wednesday in Park City, Utah, by neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Rich.
Woods pulled out of three events he planned to play this year and isn’t expected to return to the tour until January at the earliest.
Dr. Rich, who performed the initial operation in March 2014, called it “a complete success.” Woods was discharged Thursday.
The 14-time major champion hasn’t won one of golf’s four biggest events since the 2008 U.S. Open.
