Jason Day loses playoff on US PGA Tour

Australian world No.4 Jason Day has finished runner-up to American Billy Horschel at the Byron Nelson PGA tournament in Texas following a playoff.

Australian golfer Jason Day

Australia's Jason Day has lost a sudden-death playoff at the US PGA Tour's Byron Nelson tournament. (AAP)

Jason Day is trying to look on the bright side after blowing a golden chance to secure his first US PGA Tour victory in over a year.

World No.4 Day handed the Byron Nelson tournament title to American Billy Horschel at the first hole of a two-man playoff when he was unable to get down in two putts for par.

Having overshot the hole, the Australian pulled his four-foot return putt left while world No.76 Horschel had a tap-in for par and claimed his fourth US tour title after having missed the cut at his previous three events.

"I know that feeling," Horschel said about Day's unexpected miss. "I told Jason it's not the way I wanted to win. I know it's not the way he wants me to win."

Earlier, former world No.1 Day shot a two-under par 68 final round to tie with Horschel (69) at 12-under despite some patchy golf.

He'd claimed the outright lead when he pitched in from 78 feet on the 15th hole after two poor shots.

He hit a spectator with a wayward tee shot at the par 5 16th where he had to settle for par on the easiest hole at TPC Four Seasons.

And he still had a chance to win it on the 18th but missed his birdie putt.

Playing the tournament that provided the first of his 10 tour victories back in 2010, former world No.1 Day was seeking his first win since last year's Players Championship..

But his runner-up result was still welcome after struggling this season amid injury and his mother's illness, with his previous best outing in 2017 a tie for fifth at Pebble Beach back in February.

"I only had one top 10 (result) up to this point. To be able to play the way I did today, I played some good solid golf," Day said.

"It's a little disappointing, but it's not the first tournament I'm going to lose. ... I feel good about my game."

Horschel admitted he had been struggling before this win, his first since the 2014 Tour Championship.

"This is the most emotional of all the four (wins)," he said. "The other three I was playing well going into them and this one I wasn't, I can't lie, I didn't have any success.

"Jason didn't have his best game out there, and I know I didn't, but we both battled.

"This is what I know of myself. I am as good as the top players in the world.

"Do I have as much talent as Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlory? No. But I try to get everything out of my game that I can and if I can do that I can compete with these guys."

Joint overnight leader James Hahn finished one shot back in third place ofter a 69.


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Source: AAP



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