Jason Day's hot streak grows hotter still. The Australian seized the joint lead in the rich Barclays Championship on the US PGA Tour today with a dynamic 63 at Plainfield Country Club near New York City and is in position to ramp up his push to grab the world No. 1 ranking.
Day is tied for the lead at 11-under with South Korea's Sang Moon Bae, who also carded a seven-under 63 playing in the same white hot group today.
They overhauled American Bubba Watson, who will begin the final day one shot back after a third-round 67.
Day, 27, fresh from his first-ever major championship victory a fortnight ago in the PGA Championship, was irresistible today, reaching the lead when he hit a beautiful four-iron second shot on to the par-five 16th green and holing his five-metre putt for eagle.
He handed back the advantage at the par-four 17th when he pulled his tee shot left and made his only bogey of the day, but then at the short par-four 18th he made another birdie, scrambling an up-and-down from beside the green, holing a three-metre putt to give himself an exclamation mark.
"I didn't expect to come out and shoot 63 today,'' he said afterward. "I mean, I saw 'Rosey' (Justin Rose) and Carlos (Ortiz) go out there early and post a score and once I saw that, I knew there were some pin positions you could attack. It's weird because Sang Moon got off to a hot start and it was follow the leader. We both had 63 today, so a good positive note going into tomorrow's round.''
Day said he was still coming to grips with his major win, but feeling good. "I still kind of a little bit feel it. This week I felt the remnants of winning a GA Championship and it's just slowly getting over it. It was very, very busy last week and then just coming into this week (I was) trying to manage my time, manage my practice, managing my body as well. It seems like I'm doing a pretty good job of it right now. But there's still 18 holes to go, I've got to stay positive out there and keep playing my golf.''
Day made three birdies on the front side highlighted by a wedge to tap-in distance at the par-four second. Another three birdies on the back nine, plus the eagle at the 16th, set his round up.
The world No. 3 ranked Day is attempting to become only the second player behind Jordan Spieth to win four tournaments this season.
If he wins the Barclays tomorrow, he will soar from second to top of the Fedex Cup points rankings with three playoff tournaments remaining, in position to win the $US10 million bonus that comes with it. No Australian has managed this in the nine years of the US Tour playoffs.
However he would remain at No. 3 in the world rankings behind Rory McIlroy and Spieth, albeit a little closer to the No. 1 rank that he has coveted since he was a boy.
The closest of the remaining Australians in the Barclays is Steven Bowditch, who is tied-46th. Matt Jones also is out of contention but safely through to the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston next week, where the top 100 go through.
Queenslander John Senden (tied 69th here) is on the cusp, needing a good round tomorrow.