It was an up-and-down round for Jason Day and that’s how it ended.
The Aussie made par from a greenside bunker, sinking a four-foot putt to finish off a 2-under-par 70 that gave him a one-stroke victory over Kevin Chappell in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Fla.
Day, the reigning PGA champion who claimed his first victory of 2016 after he won five times last year, bounced back from three birdies in four holes through No. 6, went the last 12 holes in a bogey-free 2-under–even though he didn’t play his best golf.
“It means the world (to win Palmer’s tournament),” Day, who recently sought advice from Tiger Woods on dealing with his new-found fame, said after climbing back to No. 2 in the World Golf Rankings. “I got a text from Tiger this morning.
“I ground it out today. I didn’t have my best stuff, but was able to win.”
Chappell, from Fresno of UCLA, was seeking his first victory on the PGA Tour and took a one-stroke lead to the 18th hole, but drove into the right rough and had to lay up, eventually missing a 25-foot putt for par.
Behind him, Day holed a 12-foot birdie putt at No. 17 to regain the lead and was able to hold on for his eighth PGA Tour victory.
“I survived,” said a disappointed Chappell, who won the 2008 NCAA Championship for the Bruins. “I kind of had a goal of playing 72 good holes and giving myself a chance to win. I did that.
“(But) I’d like to have the tee shot back on 18.”
Troy Merritt was one stroke out of the lead after making five straight birdies through No. 14, but hit his approach shot into the water on the final hole to make his third double bogey-6 of the day. He shot 71 and was three shots back in a tie for third with Henrik Stenson of Sweden, who made two late bogeys in another 71.
Zach Johnson, who won the Open Championship last year at St. Andrews, shot 68 and wound up five strokes behind in solo fifth, while Jamie Lovemark of Rancho Santa Fe and USC carded a 70 to finish another shot down in a tie for sixth with Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand, who had a bogey-free 65, and Hideki Maruyama of Japan, who came in at 67.
Justin Rose of England stumbled to a 73 and was seven strokes down in a tie for ninth with Francesco Molinari of Italy and Paul Casey of England, who both had 69s.
Adam Scott of Australia, who won the Honda Classic and the WGC-Cadillac Championship in his last two starts, shot 69 to tie for 12th and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland carded a 65 after two 75s this week and tied for 27th while dropping back to No. 3 in the world behind Day.
Amateur Bryson De Chambeau of Clovis, who won the 2015 NCAA Championship for SMU, birdied six of the first 10 holes en route to a 66 and tied for 27th, while Maverick McNealy, a Stanford junior from Portola Valley, tied for 46th after a 71.
