Day Wins Wells Fargo

Jason Day returned to the World Top 10 with victory at the Wells Fargo Championship on Sunday, and just in time for THE PLAYERS Championship.

The Aussie may have won, but he did it the hard way (as per usual) by blowing a three-stroke lead before birdies at the 16th & 17th sealed a two-stroke victory to put certain demons to bed. Day described the hard-fought win as feeling like he "went ten rounds out there just fighting against myself"; a telling reflection of personal struggles both on and off the golf course.

The "Fifth Major"

His second win of 2018 has earned Day a spot as the joint-bookmakers' favourite, along with Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth & Justin Thomas. Whilst the pressure of expectation has historically been more a curse than a blessing for Day, it is testament to his apparent resurgence since falling from the top of the world rankings at the close of 2016.

21-year-old Korean Kim Si-Woo upset the odds to win last year's tournament, but that is unusual at TPC Sawgrass with then-World No. 1 Jason Day winning in 2016, Rickie Fowler in 2015, Martin Kaymer in 2014 (prior to winning the U.S. Open), Tiger Woods in 2013 and Matt Kuchar in 2012. In other words, you have to have some serious ability and form to win here.

Ones to Watch

One name that jumps out at me is Henrik Stenson. Form is definitely important here and his run of 4-T6-T5 at the Arnold Palmer, Houston Open & Masters means he is red-hot right now. He also crops up at the right end of just about every PGA Tour statistic. On a nicely balanced course, his well-rounded game means his 28/1 price is very, very good.

Justin Thomas looks very good across the board on the PGA Tour, so I expect a big week from him. Like Stenson, his ability in every department means he is suited to the balanced course in Ponte Vedra.

Spieth's game should suit this course well, but his T4 debut in 2014 is the only time he has made the cut at TPC Sawgrass, which tells me something is fundamentally wrong there. That said, he can never be written off.

People continue to back Rory because, well, surely he has to win a big tournament again at some point. Right? He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and finished T5 at the Masters, so there's definitely reason for optimism.

Patrick Reed's form since his Masters victory has been solid, but I don't seen him taking the title. Dustin Johnson is usually good for a top 10, but I don't fancy him this year. Rickie Fowler has only finished better than T60 twice; a 2015 win and a 2012 T2, so he is the definition of a wildcard. I wouldn't bank on him showing up.

We'll Be Back

Still not sure who you fancy? No need to panic, we'll be back with more tomorrow to clear everything up.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com