Jason Day has a spring in his step heading into this week's second US PGA Tour playoffs tournament after extending his fine record in the opener to climb in the standings.
World No.9 Day began the $US67 million FedEx Cup series with a tie for sixth at the renamed Northern Trust tournament in New York on Sunday, as world No.1 Dustin Johnson triumphed in a playoff against No.3 Jordan Spieth.
Johnson fired a brilliant 66 to catch Spieth (69) at 13 under and his subsequent victory lifted him past Spieth to the top of the FedEx points standings.
Day's sixth placing followed a tie for fourth in the same event last year, a victory in 2015 and a runner-up the year before that.
He signed off with a three-under-par 67 and jumped 20 spots in the standings to 29th.
With the playoffs fields reducing in size each week based on the standings, Day is now well-placed to force his way into the 25-man Tour Championship finale.
He says he'll head into the second play-offs event in Boston this week feeling near his best, mentally and physically.
"It's huge. Knowing I've got some momentum going into these two weeks (before the Tour Championship)," said Day.
"I'm more mentally sharp right now than I have been all year, which is great.
"My short game was nice and from tee to green I was quite solid this week. I just need to hopefully capitalise and maybe I'll get a win (in Boston)."
Day's Northern Trust campaign was highlighted by a comeback during the second round, where he dropped five shots on the front nine and was in danger of missing the cut before rallying with four back-nine birdies to sneak into the weekend rounds.
"The fightback on Friday was really important; it was easy enough to think, 'Oh, it's happening again and I could have (mailed it) in," said Day.
Countryman Geoff Ogilvy (72) needed a birdie on his last hole to have a chance to advance to Boston but a chip-in double-bogey left the 2006 US Open winner at three-over and tied 40th;
With only the top-100 players in the FedEx Cup standings making it to Boston, Ogilvy's season came to an end ranked 108th.
Queensland veteran Rod Pampling (69) salvaged a six-over total and a share of 54th and is 71st on the points standings.
Marc Leishman missed the Northern Trust cut and dropped six places to 20th on points but remains the leading Australian.
Brisbane youngster Cameron Smith also exited early and fell four places to 44th.
Adam Scott sits in 73rd and revealed on Saturday he will return to the play-offs this week - earlier than expected after initially intending to skip the first two events to be with wife Marie on the Gold Coast as the couple welcomed second child, Byron.
Johnson now leads the FedEx Cup standings from Spieth.
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