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Day takes 1-shot lead at Deutsche Bank

Sun 5th, September 2010

Norton, MA (Sports Network) - Jason Day may have been upstaged on the last hole, but he still walked off with the lead Sunday at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Day shot a five-under 66 at the TPC Boston and will carry a one-stroke lead into Monday's final round.

His lead could have been two shots -- or even three -- if Brandt Snedeker hadn't finished the way he did.

Playing alongside Day, Snedeker dumped his second shot at the par-five 18th into a hazard area short of the green filled with bushes and other tangled greenery.

After taking a drop and a one-stroke penalty, Snedeker came up short again with his fourth shot. But he chipped in from the rough in front of the green, landing the 40-yard shot about halfway to the hole and getting it to roll in for a par.

It gave Snedeker a 67, and left Day wondering what could have been.

"I was thinking that he was going to just get up-and-down and make bogey, and I was going to make an eagle or birdie on the hole. That would have gave me a nice little cushion going into tomorrow," said Day.

"But Brandt is a competitor, and he stuck it out until the end and made a really good par save there. I'm going to look forward to tomorrow. It's going to be really, really enjoyable."

Day closed with a birdie at the 18th, nearly holing a shot he took with his putter from the short cut of rough beside the green that would have counted for an eagle. He posted a 17-under 196 to match the tournament's 54-hole scoring record.

Snedeker was alone in second place at 16-under 197 to earn another tee time with Day for the final round.

Laying in wait for them are some of golf's biggest names.

England's Luke Donald, a European Ryder Cup selection last Sunday, fired a 66 to move into third place at 15-under 198. Donald had a 30 on the back nine.

Defending champion Steve Stricker, always a threat in the playoffs, shot a 67 and was tied with Charley Hoffman (69) at 13-under 200.

Phil Mickelson also had a 67 and moved into a four-way tie at 12-under 201 that included Geoff Ogilvy (65), Adam Scott (65) and Charlie Wi (67).

In addition to the FedEx Cup drama, there are the added implications Monday's finish will have on the No. 1 world ranking. Both Mickelson and Stricker have a chance to pass Tiger Woods for the top spot.

Of course, Woods is doing his best to hang onto the ranking -- and remain in the playoffs.

Woods muscled a shot in close from the rough at the 18th hole to finish with a birdie and shoot a 69 -- just the second time this season that he's carded back-to-back rounds in the 60s.

"I think I played better than what my score indicated," said Woods, who was tied for 23rd place at seven-under 206. "I had a lot of putts that I didn't make today. I made a couple nice par putts, but boy I missed a lot of birdie putts."

Only the top 70 in the playoffs standings after Monday will make the field for next week's BMW Championship, which Woods won by eight shots last year on the way to capturing his second FedEx Cup in three years.

After that, the top 30 move on to the playoff finale at the Tour Championship.

Woods looked to be in good shape to make next week's tournament after shooting consecutive sub-70 scores for the first time since the Memorial Tournament in June. In the midst of a swing change, Woods said he's had to make adjustments mid-round.

"I've obviously learned the principles," he said. "But it is new."

Day carried a three-shot lead to the par-three 16th hole, then took his only bogey of the round when he missed a five-foot putt. Snedeker birdied the hole to draw within one, then tied Day with a 10-footer for birdie at the 17th.

Snedeker said he tried to "finagle a hybrid" onto the green with his 220-yard shot at the 18th, but mis-hit it. It ended up OK in the end as Snedeker avoided falling further than one shot back.

The par-saving chip will "make dinner taste a little better," Snedeker said.

Mickelson chipped in for birdie from in front of the 15th green after his approach shot had hit the flag stick and rolled back into the rough. He also hit the pin at the same hole last year.

"So that was a fun little moment because that stuff happens," said Mickelson. "You get bad breaks, and sometimes you have to look at it a little bit differently, and I was able to just kind of change my mindset from, you know, that's too bad and what a bad break to let's knock this one in, then it won't matter."

NOTES: Vijay Singh had a double-eagle on No. 2 -- the first of his career and the fifth on tour this season. The two-time Deutsche Bank winner holed out from 230 yards with a five-iron...Day captured his first PGA Tour win at this season's Byron Nelson Championship.