PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Late Tuesday winds that gusted to 25 mph limited how many players ventured out onto Oak Hill for a practice round and temperatures that didn’t break out of the 50s Wednesday had an equally chilling impact on preparation for this week’s PGA Championship, but Jason Day took the less-is-more approach to the extreme.
Day, who won last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson for his first PGA Tour triumph in five years, opted for no practice rounds this week.
Full-field scores from the PGA Championship
“I just want to make sure that I’m mentally prepared and mentally ready for tomorrow. No matter how well I prepare, even if I go out and play a practice round, if I come in tomorrow tired and exhausted, it won’t do me any favors, so I’m just going to try and take it easy,” Day said. “It’s not the first time I’ve come into the major championship not playing a practice round.”
Day spent the early afternoon Wednesday in the short game area with his caddie, and with an early tee time looming on Day 1 he appeared to have made the right choice to rest. He also said that Oak Hill, where he tied for eighth in 2013 the last time this event was played in Upstate New York, is not your typical PGA Championship venue.
“From what I understand and listening to the comments from the guys that have been talking about the golf course and everyone saying how difficult it is, that this style of golf course is going to be a lot more difficult than previous PGA Championships,” Day said. “It’s most likely going to be more of a kind of be more to the center of the green, putt to the pin locations, grab your birdies when you can, and then just kind of survive.”
At the 2016 PGA Championship – as the defending champion – the Australian walked 18 holes on Wednesday with a wedge and putter but didn’t play the entire course. Day finished runner-up at Baltusrol.
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