Day just one round away from getting monkey off his back

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IRVING, Texas -- Jason Day is just 22 years old -- not much older than this week's teen sensation, 16-year-old amateur Jordan Spieth. But while Spieth is making his first start in a PGA TOUR event, Day is making his 66th start.

And the Australian, who now lives in nearby Fort Worth, is feeling the pressure of having yet to claim a TOUR title.

Eighteen more holes, though, and Day can end that winless streak, as his 3-under 67 in Saturday's third round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship gave him a two-stroke cushion heading in Sunday's final round.

"It's certainly playing on my mind a little bit," Day said of being so close to victory now. "You're just trying to get the monkey off your back, you know? First real big-time chance for me to go out there and win this tournament tomorrow.

"If I can notch up a win here, that would be great and just wonderful to get that monkey off my back. But we'll see."

Day is trying to be careful not to look too far ahead. But if he can continue to find success in the late afernoon Texas winds that can cause so much havoc at TPC Four Seasons Resort, then he should be in good shape.

He wants to play smart and understand when he should take chances -- and when he shouldn't. But in the heat of the moment, that may not always be easy to do down the stretch.

"I'm playing against other players, but the biggest thing is I'm playing against myself," Day said. "I don't want to let the course beat me.

"If the course beats me and makes me fire at sucker pins, I'm going to be slapping myself in the head after tomorrow's round, but I don't want to let that course beat me tomorrow."

In fact, those are the kind of thoughts that Day planned to write in his journal after Saturday's round, in which he started with a bogey but avoided any more scars the rest of the way while posting four birdies, including both par 5s.

He also ended his round on a positive note, managing par at the 18th after putting his tee shot in the water. He rolled in his final putt -- just his 22nd on the day -- from 19-1/2 feet.

"What I'm going to write (Saturday night) is to stay patient, drink a lot of water and just keep it going forward, you know?, " Day said. "Hit every shot aggressively to where I want to hit it, and that doesn't mean I'm going to hit every shot to the pin; it means I'm going to shoot aggressively to my spot on the green or the fairway and just try and play my game."

Sounds like a pretty good plan for success.