Jason Day has been a mercurial figure on the PGA Tour over the last couple years.
Arguably one of the most talented players currently striding down fairways, Day hasn't always lived up to expectations as injuries and the health of his mother have hindered his progress on the course.
But Day snapped back into form this year, winning both the Farmers Insurance Open and the Wells Fargo Championship, while also finishing runner up at Pebble Beach.
A quiet start to the summer had many wondering if Day had disappeared again, but he's had three top-17 finishes in his last three starts, including a top 10 at the WGC-Bridgestone last week.
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Thursday, he shot a 3-under 67 during the first round of the PGA Championship, which was just two shots behind leader Rickie Fowler.
"It was good. I think I hit 12 fairways and 17 greens. It was nice," Day said after his round. "I definitely gave myself a fair share of birdie opportunities out there but didn't quite capitalize on the front side.
"Being able to come back with birdies on 7 and 8 after I bogeyed on 6, even though I hit — I hit a great shot into the par 3, just straight over the green. Hit a 5 iron from 221. I wasn't thinking that was going to go that far. But, fortunately, I'd much rather be in the back bunker than in the water. Overall, I'm very happy with how things progressed out there."
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Australians: Day 1
T5: Jason Day (-3)
T15: Marc Leishman (-2)
T49: Adam Scott (E)
T86: Craig Hocknell (+2)
T122: Cameron Smith (+4)
Marc Leishman moves to 1-under with this birdie. 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/8SHi9qgmv1
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) August 9, 2018
Day had four birdies and one bogey on this scorecard Thursday, and he thinks the course could yield low scores this week.
"There's nothing really tricky about this golf course," Day said. "It just can be brutally long. How do I explain it? There can be two different people can walk off in the same group thinking it's the hardest golf course in the world only because you may be on the wrong side of hitting it in the rough here or there because the rough is pretty thick, and a guy that's flushed it all day long thinking it's a really relatively easy golf course.
"If you can ball strike your way around this golf course, you'll walk off thinking it's pretty simple. If you struggle a little bit off the tee, then it obviously makes it harder."
While golf is on Day's mind, a tragedy off the course is on his, and almost everyone on Tour's this week. Former PGA Tour pro Jarrod Lyle lost his ongoing battle with cancer Wednesday, and Day was devastated to learn of his fellow countryman's death.
"I received a text about Jarrod, and I just was — it's hard because you sit there and you know him and he's a buddy of yours, and he's not there anymore. He's never going to come back. That's the hardest thing to sort of come by.
"I lived across the street from him when we first started out in Orlando. He's a good buddy of mine. It's obviously heart breaking to see. I've known Jarrod for a long time, and obviously my thoughts and prayers go out to Bri and the two kids. It's just — they're going through some stuff right now. It's obviously — it's hard to hear that information when it comes through any time."