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The Players: Jason Day wins wire to wire
Jason Day emphatically solidified his position atop the World Ranking by leading the Players Championship wire to wire and winning by four shots at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., on Sunday.
It was his third victory in 10 starts this season, his seventh in his last 17 starts and the 10th PGA Tour victory of his career.
“I just wanted to win this so bad,” Day said. “I said yesterday, this could possibly push me over to getting into the Hall of Fame one day. And I’m just glad and honored to be a Players champion.
"I'm very motivated to stay at number one. This definitely gives me that extension on the gap between one and two, and I'm very pleased with how everything's been progressing this year.”
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Day, who began the tournament with a course-record tying nine-under par 63 followed by a 66, was less sharp on a difficult weekend, but his lead was never really threatened. He closed with rounds of 73 on Saturday and a one-under par 71 on Sunday, when his smallest lead was two strokes, early in his round.
Birdies at 10 and 12 increased his lead to four over Ken Duke, Francesco Molinari, Colt Knost and the leader in the clubhouse, Justin Thomas.
Kevin Chappell made a late move with birdies on 16 and 17 to get within three, but Day responded with a birdie at the par-5 16th to go four ahead again, then parred the treacherous par-3 17th and par-4 18th.
Day finished at 15-under par 273. Chappell finished second and Duke, Knost, Thomas and Matt Kuchar tied for third.