McKINNEY -- Jason Day has played well throughout this 2022-2023 PGA Tour season, and now he's got some hardware to show for it. Day fended off charges from local and fan-favorite Scottie Scheffler, Austin Eckroat, Si Woo Kim, and Tyrrell Hatton with a 9-under 62 on Sunday to finish at 23-under for the weekend and break a five-year winless streak.
Day won his first-ever PGA Tour event at this same tournament back in 2010 when the event was held in Irving. And now, he claims his first title in a half-decade at the 2023 edition. Day's last PGA Tour win before Sunday was in 2018 at the Wells Fargo Championship. That win ended a three-year run that saw Day win almost every time he played.
Ten of Day's 12 Tour wins came from 2015-2018, including a Players Championship and a PGA Championship.
Day's Mother's Day win in 2023 is not insignificant, either. He lost his mother Dening last March to cancer. There's little question Day's mother had a ton to do with his recovery from illness and the re-tooling of his game due to that illness over the past couple of years.
"It's been a struggling few years -- five years since my last win -- so to be able to get the win the way I played today was really special. I'm very pleased and happy with how things have progressed over the last couple of years for me," Day told CBS Sports.
"I lost my mom last year, and this was kind of the first one without her. To have her name on my caddie bib was special."
Day's play in 2023 is notable as well, and it all starts with his health.
"Nonstop grinding and nonstop wanting to improve and get better," Day said. "I've had a lot of injuries with my back, and for a moment there I thought I wasn't going to play again. Then trying to get through those two years of just trying to get through a tournament was difficult. To be on the other side of it, to be healthy, feeling good about my game, finally winning again, no better feeling really."
Now, Day appears to be regaining form as one of the best golfers in the world. And it's well-deserved.
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