Bay Hill has not seen a 36-hole leader win the Arnold Palmer Invitational since Tiger Woods was dominating golf courses all over the place. None more than Bay Hill.
Jason Day has not done much with 36-hole leads either. He has been in that position before and crumbled on the weekend. Except those instances where he has not. Day has shown himself perfectly capable of being the kind of player that takes and runs aways with the kind of lead he had entering the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
It is not going to be easy for Day. It never is with such a star-studded tournament. But he is in the position everyone envies. Even with those players challenging his reign.
Henrik Stenson was the first to test Day’s throne, pulling even with him midway through the round, but Day continued to have control over the Arnold Palmer Invitational, taking a two shot lead over Stenson, Troy Merritt and Kevin Chappell.
Day shot a 2-under 70 with four birdies and two bogeys. He, like everyone else on the day, had to deal with wet conditions on the course. The putts were not dropping at the same rate or distance as the two days before.
This was a day where Day could have fallen apart. He had to scratch out a solid round with players gunning for his spot and pushing what seemed like a comfortable lead.
Even with all of his success, it is still easy to forget Day is a young guy still finding his way in the PGA. He has scored some major victories and come close to even more. That has not necessarily made consistency. He has lost plenty of leads in that time too.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational could become that too. It is an opportunity for Day is still learning how to put a tournament away.
It is starting to feel like this tournament is Day’s destiny though.
This tournament has become Day’s to win or lose. A potential victory — and a major one at that — in the lead up to The Masters Tournament is right there for him.
Everyone else in the field will come for Day for sure. Day cannot coast to the finish line either. Bay Hill can be an unforgiving golf course if it is not played correctly. It can also yield some low scores. Day knows that better than anyone after his first two rounds.
He is 18 holes away.
