Reporting from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. — Jason Day has gone lower, but he never has been better.
Day’s nine-under par 63 to open the Players Championship not only tied the tournament record, it was the most complete performance of the 28-year-old’s career.
That is high praise, courtesy of the world No. 1 himself, who has a 61 and three 62s on his PGA Tour resume.
“I can’t really recall the way that I hit the ball as well as I did today, and then putt as well as I did,” Day said. “I’ve shot scores lower. But I think from tee to green and then on the green and then being patient.
“Everything kind of just clicked today.”
Day was not the only golfer who had it going early on a surprisingly toothless TPC Sawgrass. Light winds and soft greens tamed designer Pete Dye’s challenging par-72 layout — and the world’s best players capitalized.
Day equaled the course record held by Fred Couples (1992), Greg Norman (1994), Roberto Castro (2013) and Martin Kaymer (2014). Yet, he holds only a two-shot advantage over a contingent of players including 2013 U.S. Open winner Justin Rose and Irishman Shane Lowry.
Lowry carded a 29 on the back nine to become the first player to break 30 on the course’s final nine holes.
“It’s probably as good a golf course as we play all year,” he said. “It’s a proper test of golf. And to go out and do it on that nine was nice.”
Ernie Els, 46, headlined a group three shots back, following his lowest round at the Players since 1996.
At day’s end, 88 of 144 players in the field finished under par. But the winds increased and the conditions toughened in the afternoon.
Defending champion Rickie Fowler closed with a double bogey to finish with an even-par 72, the same score posted by world No. 2 Jordan Spieth and No. 3 Rory McIlroy.
Day said the low scores motivated those playing in the morning wave.
“Today was I think a good momentum kick for everyone to know that they’ve got to chase the lead,” he said.
Benign conditions and flawless, receptive greens helped too.
“The conditions are very hot, so the ball is going forever,” said Day, who hit a two-iron 297 yards on the par-five ninth hole. “Guys can dial it back a little bit. They can hit irons off the tees and give themselves a lot more opportunities coming in from the fairway. The greens are pure. They’re rolling perfect.
“It’s not surprising to me that there’s so many guys under par.”
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Jason Day of Australia plays a shot on the 15th hole Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
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Jason Day takes a big divot while playing a shot at No. 14 on Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship.
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Jason Day acknowledges the cheers from spectators on the 13th green during the final round of the Players Championship on Sunday.
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American Matt Kuchar lines up his putt on the 16th green during the final round of the Players Championship on Sunday.
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Hideki Matsuyama of Japan hits his tee shot at No. 8 during the final round of the Players Championship on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass.
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Colt Knost of the United States reacts after almost making a chip on the second hole Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship.
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American Kevin Chappell hits his tee shot at No. 5 on Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship.
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Jason Day hits his tee shot at No. 8 on Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship.
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Justin Thomas of the United States acknowledges the gallery after finishing his round of seven-under 65 on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass.
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Alex Cejka of Germany reacts to his birdie on the 17th green during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland tees off at No. 17 during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Jason Day lines up a putt at the ninth hole on Saturday during the third round of the Players Championship.
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Jason Day of Australia hits from a sand trap at the eighth hole during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Kevin Chappell reacts after missing a putt during the Players Championship, where he finished second. (Scott Halleran / Getty Images)
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Russell Knox of Scotland kept his humor at the par-three 17th hole, the famous island green, where he raised his arms triumphantly after making a putt to score nine. He put four shots in the water.
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Hideki Matsuyama of Japan chips onto the 16th green during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Ryan Palmer of the United States hits from a greenside sand trap at No. 2 during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Ken Duke of the United States lines up a putt for birdie on the ninth green during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Jonas Blixt of Sweden tees off at No. 10 during the second round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Friday.
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American Jordan Spieth hits his tee shot at No. 3 on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his chip shot bounce on the ninth green during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday.
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Phil Mickelson follows his shot from the ninth tee during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday.
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Charley Hoffman of the United States tees off at No. 9 at TPC Sawgrass on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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American Cameron Tringale hits from a sand trap at the eighth green on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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Alex Cejka of Germany reacts after missing a birdie putt at No. 6 on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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American Davis Love III putts from the edge of the 17th island green during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday.
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Jason Day of Australia hits his tee shot at No. 11 during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday at TPC Sawgrass.
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Justin Rose of England hits from a fairway sand trap on the second hole Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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In this black-and-white image, Henrik Stenson of Sweden hits his tee shot at No. 6 on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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Danny Lee of New Zealand follows through on his tee shot at No. 11 during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday at TPC Sawgrass.
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Jason Day of Australia plays his shot from the 17th tee to the island green during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
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Jason Day acknowledges the fans at the ninth green during the first round of the Players Championships on Thursday, when he would tie the course record with a 63.
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Shane Lowry of Ireland shakes hands with caddie John McLaren after shooting a seven-under 65 during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday.
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Justin Rose of England bounces the golf ball with his driver as he wait to tee off at No. 11 on Thursday during the first round of the Players Championship. Rose shot a seven-under 65.
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American Dustin Johnson hits from a sand trap alongside the ninth green during the first round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday. Johnson shot a two-under 70.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays from a hillside during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday. McIlroy would finish at even-par 72.
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American Jordan Spieth drops his club on his follow through after teeeing off at No. 9 on Thursday during the first round of the Players Championship.
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American Rickie Fowler prepares to chip from off the 17th green during the first round of the Players Champioship on Thursday. The defending champion finished at even-par 72.
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Rory McIlroy follows through on his tee shot at No. 15 during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday at TPC Sawgrass.
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Sergio Garcia of Spain tees off at No. 9 during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday, when he shot an even-par 72.
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Bubba Watson of the United States watches his tee shot at No. 15 during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday. Watson would finish at three-under 69.
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Jason Day plays a shot from a bunker at the 11th hole during the first round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday.
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Rory McIlroy tees off at No. 11 on Thursday during the first round of the Players Championship.
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Shane Lowry hits his approach shot at No. 4 on Thursday during the first round of the Players Championship.
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Dustin Johnson plays a shot from the fairway during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday.
(Sam Greenwood / Getty Images) But no one could match Day, who finished the day hitting 15 of 18 greens and did not face a par putt longer than 2 1/2 feet.
Day started on the back nine, birdied his first three holes and never looked back. When he reached the par-three eighth hole — his 17th of the day — Day had the course record in his crosshairs.
After he lipped out for birdie from 39 feet away, Day would have to settle for a tie with four players, including his idol and fellow Aussie, Norman.
“I would have loved to shoot 10 under and be the only guy to hold that record,” Day said. “But I’m in pretty good company, especially with Greg Norman.”
Norman followed an opening 63 in 1994 with three consecutive rounds of 67 for a wire-to-wire win, while also setting the tournament scoring record of 24 under.
Day led from beginning to end in March to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, one of his six wins worldwide during his last 16 starts. The last wire-to-wire winner at the Players was Hal Sutton in 2000.
But few know better than Day how quickly fortunes can change at TPC Sawgrass.
In 2015, he followed a solid 69 with an inexplicable second-round 81 — his highest score since he shot an 82 in the 2008 Memorial when he was 19.
“It’s just Round 1,” Day said. “My main goal right now is try to get as much under par as I can.”
