Jason Day has given another strong indication that he is set for a great 2015 with an equal course record 62 in the final round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions on the PGA Tour of the United States.
Day rolled in 11 birdies to equal the course record for Kapalua's par-73 plantation course set by American Chris Kirk earlier the same day.
Remarkably, he had begun the day with four consecutive pars and said later that he left some shots out on the course.
Day posted 20-under and held the clubhouse lead, but when he holed out for birdie at the par-five 18th he was two shots behind the outright leader, Jimmy Walker.
The Australian had begun the final round eight shots from the lead.
Day had an injury-riddled 2014 season after he won his first World Golf Championship event, the Accenture Matchplay, in February, rising to a world ranking of No. 4. However he did manage to log a top-five finish in the US Open, and was in the top 10 in the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
He took a prolonged break to allow his wrist and hand injuries to recover after the season, skipping the Emirates Australian Open so that the troubles subsided, then immediately impressed at Tiger Woods' tournament in Florida where he finished fifth on his return to tournament golf.
Day began only steadily but rolled in birdie putts on four consecutive holes from the fifth to the eighth. A back nine of 30, with birdies at the 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 18th closed the deal. Typical of his day was a great bounce off the railing of the grandstand at the par-five 18th as he blocked his second shot toward the spectator area. Day was able to chip it close and close with a birdie, waiting to see if he could reach a playoff.
He was just two shots back from Walker's lead when he signed his card, and soon only one back, but ultimately he finished tied-third.
"I missed a couple of short ones, actually, for birdie on the front. I'm just happy that I shot 62 and at least gave myself a chance of maybe getting into a playoff, but Jimmy's playing so great,'' he said.
American Patrick Reed rolled in a six-metre birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat Walker in a playoff, after the latter had led the tournament by as many as three shots on the final day.
Reed holed out for eagle with a 75-metre pitch on the 16th hole to set up his win, the fourth PGA Tour win of his career.