Rozner: Jason Day putting on a clinic at BMW
With the wind down and the moisture up, the shooting gallery known as Conway Farms was defenseless Friday.
And taking dead aim was Jason Day, who is tearing the place apart.
Well, let's face it. He's tearing every course apart right now.
The FedEx Cup leader seems to be playing a different game than everyone else here at the BMW Championship, continuing a fabulous run that started with a PGA Championship victory, his first major and one that was long overdue.
He opened in Lake Forest on Thursday with a ridiculous 10-under 61 in a ferocious southwest wind when the rest of his competitors could only laugh at how he attacked pins, and Day backed it up Friday with an 8-under 63, good for 18-under through 36 holes and a 5-shot lead.
"I'm walking through the locker room and people are going, 'You're playing off the ladies' tees,' or, 'You're playing a different golf course,' or, 'Every time you stand up there and hit a drive it's downwind for you.' I'd like to say all of those things are true, but they're not," Day laughed. "It's good to see the guys are recognizing that I'm playing good."
In a season that has seen several major breakthroughs, there can't be one more substantial than that of Day, who has always had top five talent and is now playing like it.
Having won his first major after coming close many times, Day is now playing free of pressure and simply letting it fly, tying a Tour record Friday for low 36-hole score (124).
"It feels like a practice round, like it doesn't really matter," Day explained. "And no matter what you do, even if you hit a bad shot, it's going to be all right. That's kind of the way it feels.
"It's hard to explain because I'm just out there and not really paying attention to the score. I'm hitting it down the middle and hitting it on the greens and holing putts. I'm just playing golf.
"This is kind of really the first time as a professional I've just really enjoyed golf and really loved getting out and playing."
What Day described is the confidence that comes with capturing a major. Getting the first one is the tough part. It's almost like you can't know how to win until you win, but once you squeeze out a major victory, it changes everything.
Nearly every player who's ever won a big tournament says something similar.
"I always thought I had the skills to play and win at the highest level and be competitive, but mentally I think the last piece of the puzzle was to really believe," Day said. "It's easy to say, 'Just go ahead and believe in yourself,' but how do you believe in yourself when you don't know what to believe in?
"That was the hardest part for me. It's kind of finally clicked, something finally clicked since the U.S. Open."
Despite battling vertigo at Chambers Bay, Day was tied for the lead after three rounds before succumbing with a 4-over par Sunday. At the Open Championship, Day had a putt on 18 to reach the playoff, but left it short.
On Sunday at Whistling Straits, however, Day put away Jordan Spieth, who was merely having one of the best major seasons in the last 85 years. And Day followed that up with a win two weeks later at the Barclays.
"I look at things a little bit different now. I feel like everything is a lot clearer to me, and I don't know what it was, but it just happened out of the blue," Day said. "As a junior and an amateur, I'd walk onto the putting greens and feel like I was the guy to beat, and it took me a long time to really try and feel that way out here.
"I'm not saying that I feel that way all the time here, but especially when I was playing some really good golf at the PGA, the Barclays, I felt like I was the guy to beat. That's what I have to get to - that mentality - all the time, and I think once I get to that, I'll be a lot more consistent, not only in my finishes but more consistent in my wins."
His consistency through a couple days on the North Shore is downright scary and he's making it difficult for anyone to make a run at him. The only big names within 10 shots are Spieth (7 back), Rory McIlroy (9 back), Dustin Johnson (9 back), Justin Rose (10 back) and Henrik Stenson (10 back).
And if anyone's going to make a charge, it might have to be McIlroy, who's been sort of the forgotten man this week while Day, Spieth and Rickie Fowler were grouped the first two days.
But after Day made a 43-footer for eagle on 18, it seems like this tournament is already over, and a win would vault him to No. 1 in the world rankings.
"I feel like I'm in the zone, but I can't even tell you exactly what that feels like," Day said late Friday afternoon. "I just know there's 36 holes left and I'm looking forward to it."
So much for the Summer of Spieth. It's all Jason Day, all day, now.
brozner@dailyherald.com
• Hear Barry Rozner on WSCR 670-AM and follow him @BarryRozner on Twitter.