Australian golf star Jason Day has taken another small step towards No.1 in the world.
Needing to win the Deutsche Bank Championship with a margin over both current No.1 Jordan Spieth and world No.2 Rory McIlroy, Day got off to the right start, shooting a three-under 68 as playing partner Spieth struggled to four-over.
At the end of play Day is just three shots back from surprise leader, Zimbabwean Brendon de Jonge, who shot a blistering six-under 65.
De Jonge, who has struggled with his game all season, recording just three top tens, with none since a tied fifth finish at the Houston Open in April was just as surprised as anyone at a round that included seven birdies and one bogey.
"I'm more surprised than anything else, it's been a rough stretch of golf the last few months," De Jonge, who missed the cut in his last two events said.
"It's nice anytime you play well when the first round is in the afternoon and you get to wake up early and continue the next morning."
Day, who is coming off consecutive victories at The Barclays and his maiden major, the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits got off to a hot start, but the end of his round hurt the Australian.
Things couldn't have been better for Day early on as, playing the back nine first he opened with birdies at the first three holes.
He would get it to five-under with birdies at the par-five second and par-four fourth before two late bogeys at the par-five fifth and par-four ninth cruelled his round.
While his driving was erratic at times Day was happy with the way he was rolling the putts in, something that has helped him to play his last 21 rounds in an amazing 76-under-par.
"Over the last seven weeks my speed has been fantastic, that's why I'm rolling putts in. I can go in and fully believe and trust that the line I'm picking is correct," Day told PGATour.com.
"I didn't drive today as good as I should have, but I hit a lot of greens.
"Putting is the biggest equaliser. If you're putting well you can turn a bad hitting day into a fantastic round. If I had to choose one, putting is helping me the most with the confidence."
Day isn't the only Aussie in contention.
Matt Jones, who was well up the leaderboard going into the last day at Whistling Straits is one shot ahead of Day at four-under.
A bogey at the par-four 14th the only blemish on Jones's card and he sits level with a host of others in a tie for second.
Those players include Englishmen Luke Donald and Ian Poulter, American young guns Rickie Fowler and Harris English and consistent Swede Henrik Stenson.
Rory McIlroy is at one-under the card along with American veteran Phil Mickelson.
Mickelson needs a good tournament to try and become a captain's pick for the President's Cup and extend a 20-year streak of representing his country in President's and Ryder Cup action.
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