Jason Day goes wire-to-wire to win Arnold Palmer Invitational

Jason Day shook the hand of The King on Sunday behind the 18th green at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

Day earned the right by gaining upper hand on the man who ruled Arnold Palmer’s tournament like no other.

Day went wire to wire-to-win the Arnold Palmer Invitational, accomplishing a feat that eluded even Tiger Woods during his record eight victories.

Day did not even realize it, but his face lit up the moment he found out.

“I never knew that and I will text him that tonight,” Day joked.

Day sought Woods’ advice recently to help him develop as a player. Along the way, the two have become friends and traded texts Saturday night and Sunday morning before the final round.

But once the round began, Day was all on his own and searching for answers. Day began the day with a two-shot lead, but had three bogeys in his first six holes.

Twice, Day had to come from behind to eventually overtake Kevin Chappell.

“I didn’t feel comfortable over any shot out there today,” Day said. “It was really, really difficult for me.”

Like many of Woods’ wins, Day’s victory Sunday required some 72nd hole dramatics at Bay Hill.

Day faced an up and down out of the bunker behind the challenging par-four to hold off Chappell, who had made bogey on the final hole while playing in the group ahead of Day.

Day blasted his sand shot to four feet and calmly sank the putt to pick up his first win since the BMW Championship last September and the $1.134-million winner’s check.

He also earned a congratulatory handshake from Palmer, who watched from a golf cart.

Day carded a two-under-par 70 in the final round for a 271 total. Seeking his first win in 150 tries on tour, Chappell finished with 69 and a shot back. 2015 runner-up Henrik Stenson and Troy Merritt tied for third, three shots behind Day.

All four players had a chance for victory during a stirring back nine.

The turning point was Day’s birdie on the par-three 17th hole, one of just eight birdies there on the day.

Chappell had pulled ahead with a birdie on the par-five 16th — the easiest hole on the course — and maintained the lead when Day then missed a 14-foot birdie putt.

But Day, the reigning PGA Championship winner, responded with a pin-high five-iron to 12 feet on the downhill 224-yard 17th.

“To be able to hit it there and sink that putt was nice,” Day said.

Chappell then opened the door for Day with a bogey on the final hole.

Chappell’s tee shot ended up in the thick, right fairway rough, forcing him to lay up in the fairway. A pedestrian wedge shot from 106 yards left him with a 21-foot par putt.

Chappell was standing over it when the roar from 17 sounded for Day. He left the par putt four feet short.

“Being honest, kind of had me rattled a little bit,” Chappell said.

Meanwhile, Day did what he had to do and now sits No. 2 in the Official World Rankings.

The 28-year-old Aussie made it look easy the opening 36 holes to reach 13 under. While the weekend did not go as planned, it ended with Day the first wire-to-wire winner at the tournament since Fred Couples in 1992.

“Regardless if you win wire-to-wire pretty or you win ugly, a win is a win,” he said. “It’s a great feeling and nothing beats winning.”

egthompson@orlandosentinel.com