2015 US Open: Jason Day rises to dizzying heights – round 3 highlights video
Jason Day has produced a remarkable third round to fond himself in a share of the lead going into the final day of the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay.
After a fall on his final hole in round two due to vertigo, golf fans were unsure whether they would see Jason Day tee up in the third round of the 2015 US Open.
Clearly not 100%, Day made bogey at the second and fourth holes and Australian golf fans were just hoping the Queenslander could get around 18 holes. But Day, who has a remarkable way of rising in the majors produced one of the great rounds in US Open history.
Day knocked an 8-iron to four feet for his first birdie of the day on the 10th hole and while he gave one back at the next, he drove the green on the short par-4 12th hole to set up another easy birdie.
When Day got to the par-3 15th hole, he was five shots behind the leader Dustin Johnson and had gained a whole new bunch of golf fans in admiration of his fighting spirit. But few would have expected the world number 10 to go on a birdie tear that would see him sit in a tie for the lead at the end of the day.
His tee shot to the 15th rolled off the back part of the green to set up a seven-foot birdie putt that Day put away to get to 2-under par for the tournament.
Day looked to be under severe duress simply getting his tee into the ground at the 17th hole but only minutes later the crowd went bananas when he rolled in his birdie putt to get within a shot of the lead.
Bananas was only the start of it as Day hit another remarkable shot to the 18th green that rolled back down the slope to within four feet. Day knocked the putt in to complete one of the greatest rounds of golf by an Australian in US Open history.
Day finished the day in a tie for first place at 4-under par for the tournament alongside Dustin Johnson, Branden Grace and Masters champion Jordan Spieth.
Day will play in the final pairing with Dustin Johnson, teeing off at 3pm (8am Monday AEST).
Fellow Australian Cameron Smith is playing in his first major and will tee off only two groups ahead of Day just three shots behind the leaders.
Smith’s performance is making headlines around the world and we’re not surprised to see the young Aussie taking like a duck to water to major championship golf – as we hinted at earlier in the week.
But Smith’s superb showing has been pipped by Day’s dogged fight against illness and expectation but they’ve both put themselves in a great position to become the first Australian to win the US Open since Geoff Ogilvy in 2006.
We dare to dream.