Jason Day takes over world No. 1 with six-shot BMW Championship win
Jason Day's last six starts have been more meaningful than most PGA Tour players' careers.
On Sunday, Day wrapped up his fourth win in his last half-dozen tournaments, dominating the BMW Championship at Conway Farms near Chicago to the tune of a six-shot win. The 27-year-old entered the final round leading by six, and, with a 2-under 69 in the final round, he maintained that edge over Daniel Berger with a 22-under 262 total.
The win propels Day to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. It's his second six-shot win in the FedEx Cup playoffs, which began with Day dominating at The Barclays. Looking exhausted after winning three times in four starts, Day wound up T-12 at the Deutsche Bank Championship. With a week off to rest, Day was again in an echelon above his peers, opening with 10-under 61 and never looking back.
Behind Berger, Scott Piercy finished alone in third at 15 under par. Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy and J.B. Holmes tied for fourth place at 14 under.
Jordan Spieth finished tied for 13th, 11 behind Day.
With their finishes, Berger, Piercy, Kevin Na and Harris English all played their way into next week's Tour Championship in Atlanta, the FedEx Cup playoff finale reserved for the top 30 players in the standings after the BMW Championship.
Day will be the top-seeded player heading into the Tour Championship. Despite outclassing the playoff field, losing to just 11 of 292 other players in three events, however, Day is not a lock to win the season-long points race and its $10 million first-place prize. The points are reset for the 30 players who qualify for the season finale in Atlanta next week, giving each at least a mathematical chance of winning the cup. The top five players in the standings can win the FedEx Cup outright if they win the Tour Championship, meaning Day's virtuoso march through the playoffs does not give him complete control over his FedEx Cup finish. Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson and Bubba Watson can all take the FedEx Cup from Day with a victory at East Lake.
However, if Day wins again, there's a case to make that he could be the PGA Tour player of the year. He'll have won three of four playoff events as part six titles on the year including a major championship and the FedEx Cup. While Jordan Spieth has two majors, Day's late-season flurry may convince his peers that his year was better.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
