Jason Day's first shot on Friday at the BMW will be for 59
Jason Day's first shot on Friday morning will be for history.
If Day holes the 44-yard pitch shot waiting for him on the par-4 ninth at Conway Farms to wrap up Round 1 of the BMW Championship, then the Aussie will become the seventh player in PGA Tour history to shoot 59.
As it stands, Day is 10-under par on the round, four shots clear of rookie Daniel Berger, who wrapped with a walk-off eagle of his own on the same ninth hole that will end Day's round. Starting off No. 10, Day made four birdies in his first six holes, but dropped a shot with a three-putt bogey at the par-3 17th. He recovered with birdie to go out in 4-under 32.
The three-hole stretch after the turn propelled Day well ahead of the field – which started at 70 and dropped to 69 after Jim Furyk withdrew with a wrist injury – and conjured images of a second 59 at the same venue where Furyk scored the magical number in 2013. Day holed out from a fairway bunker for eagle on the par-4 first from 80 yards, then birdied the par-3 second and par-4 third. Playing partner Jordan Spieth played that stretch in 3-under par, including an ace and a chip-in birdie. Day still beat him by a shot.
Birdies on Day's last two full holes of the day got him to 10 under on the day. A 346-yard tee shot to the last set up history. Then the horn blew, suspending play.
If Day manages the improbable and sinks the shot, he and Furyk would be the first pair of PGA Tour players to shoot 59 at the same venue.
UPDATE 9:30 a.m. ET Friday: Day ended up shooting 61 in the opening round for a four-shot lead.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
