EDISON, N.J. -- The toughest challenge Jason Day faced Sunday at The Barclays was convincing his peers that golf really isn't this easy.
He's just making it look that way.
Two weeks after winning the PGA Championship, Day, a 27-year-old Australian, powered and putted his way to another blowout against a world-class field, capping off an explosive weekend at Plainfield with an 8-under 62 for a six-shot victory over Henrik Stenson.
It was Day's third victory in his past four starts dating to another close call at the British Open, where he left a 30-foot birdie putt short on the final hole at St. Andrews and missed out on a playoff by one shot.
That's where it all changed, in his mind.
"Ever since then, I just felt a lot more calm on the golf course," he said. "I felt like it was my time. Mentally I felt like, 'You paid your dues, now it's time to go out and win tournaments.' I'm not going to say in the future it's going to be like this all the time, because it's very difficult to win."
Day shot 63-62 on the weekend and finished at 19-under 261. He won two weeks ago at Whistling Straits by three shots over Jordan Spieth with a record score to par at 20-under 268. And the week after St. Andrews, he won the Canadian Open by one shot over Bubba Watson at 17-under 271.
"Jason is full of confidence, just heating it up, making birdies," said Stenson, who pulled within two shots at one point and closed with a 66. "It would have taken something really special to challenge him today the way he's playing at the moment."
Bubba Watson, who birdied the 18th hole for a 69 to finish third, was standing on the 15th hole when he said he turned to caddie Ted Scott and told him, "I'm playing good the last few months, and Jason Day is playing a thousand times better."
Better than anyone?
The victory, his fourth on the PGA Tour this year, moved him to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup and assures that Day will be among the top five who have a clear shot at the $10 million bonus at the Tour Championship.
Day remains at No. 3 in the world, but now enters the picture with Spieth and Rory McIlroy for the race to No. 1. All three will have a mathematical chance to get to the top spot at the Deutsche Bank Championship next week at the TPC Boston.
Day is trying to forget about all of that.
"Right now I'm trying to focus on getting some rest and going into next week, trying to play that golf course, which I absolutely love," he said. "All positive stuff."
The top 100 in the FedEx Cup advance to the next playoff event at the TPC Boston. PGA Tour rookie Zac Blair was among eight players who played their way into the top 100, and he did it in a big way. He closed with a 66 and tied for fourth, moving him from No. 106 to No. 45.
Camilo Villegas at No. 123 appeared to be playing his way out of another week when he made three consecutive bogeys early on the back nine. Facing elimination if he failed to make par on the 18th, he got up-and-down by making a par putt from just inside 10 feet.
The Barclays did not end well for Stewart Cink and Nick Taylor. Cink needed a par on the final hole to advance, pulled his tee shot left into high grass and missed a 15-foot par putt for a 72. He finished at No. 102 in the FedEx Cup. Taylor, the Canadian rookie who won early in the season last November, took a double bogey on the 14th hole and then missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have sent him to Boston.
Bryce Molder (Conway) shot a 1-under 69 and finished in a tie for 11th at 7 under and win $198,000. He moved from 92nd to 58th in the FedEx standings.
Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) had a 5-over 75 and finished tied for 62nd at 4 over. He won $17,572 and stayed 117th in the standings, 89 points out of the top 100. He won't play again until the 2015-2016 season begins in October.
LPGA
Tamulis wins first title
PRATTVILLE, Ala. -- Kris Tamulis won the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title.
Tamulis, 34, played 29 holes Sunday in the twice-delayed tournament, the 186th of her LPGA Tour career. She finished a third-round 67 and closed with a 65 to beat Yani Tseng and Austin Ernst by a stroke.
The former Florida State player finished at 17-under 271 on The Senator Course.
Tseng had rounds of 71 and 67, and Ernst shot 68-69 with the weather clearing up after delays totaling nearly 7 hours the previous two days. Both parred the final hole with a chance to force a playoff.
Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) had a 6-under 66 to move into a tie for sixth place at 12 under.
CHAMPIONS
Maggert closes strong
ENDICOTT, N.Y. -- Jeff Maggert won the Dick's Sporting Goods Open on Sunday for his fourth Champions Tour victory of the year, closing with a 6-under 66 to beat Paul Goydos by two strokes.
Maggert took the lead in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, 119 points ahead of Colin Montgomerie. Montgomerie skipped the tournament because of commitments in Europe.
Maggert finished at 14-under 202 at En-Joie. He won the Regions Tradition in May and the U.S. Senior Open in July, both major championships, and took the Shaw Charity Classic three weeks ago in Canada.
The Texan's second consecutive 68 on Saturday put him in good position for another victory, and he took advantage in a big way with six birdies in a bogey-free round.
PGA EUROPEAN
Pieters three-stroke winner
VYSOKY UJEZD, Czech Republic -- Belgium's Thomas Pieters won the Czech Masters for his first European Tour title, closing with a 3-under 69 for a three-stroke victory over Sweden's Pelle Edberg.
Pieters, 23, finished at 20-under 268 on the Albatross course.
Edberg had a 71. England's was third at 16 under after a 68.
Sports on 08/31/2015