Jason Day was the big winner of MGM Resorts The Challenge: Japan Skins, taking home $210,000 in the inaugural GOLFTV event. He also provided the most jaw-dropping highlight from a fun day in Japan, by getting up and down from a greenside bunker with a 6-iron. And only a 6-iron.
The shot was made possible by one of three challenges during Monday's 18-hole competition. On the par-5 14th at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, the four players could only use one club. Day selected a 6-iron, as did Hideki Matsuyama, while Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods chose a 5-iron and 4-iron, respectively. Remarkably, all four nearly parred the hole with only Matsuyama making a three-putt bogey after finding the green in regulation. But none did it with the flair of Day, who found a deep bunker with his third shot—and then did this:
Moments later, Day rolled in the six-footer with that 6-iron to cap one of the pars of the year.
“I haven’t hit a bunker shot with a 6-iron in probably eight years,” said Day, who choked down on the club and squatted low to pull off the remarkable shot. “I felt like I was sitting on the sand."
Day got up and down from another bunker on 18 for birdie to win the final skin for $100,000 and emerge victorious in this inaugural event:
That more conventional shot using a lob wedge obviously didn't draw quite the attention as the earlier one. Considering the stakes, though, that was pretty impressive, too.
The best of Golf Digest delivered daily
Sign UpWill be used in accordance with our PRIVACY POLICY