Jason Day suffers horror finish as Australians wilt at Masters

Jason Day suffered a meltdown on a horror final day for Australia’s golf stars at the Masters. From being well in contention to clinch a top-12 finish and with it a guaranteed ticket back to Augusta National next year, Day capitulated with four double bogeys in his last 10 holes to crash to a tie for 39th.

And what spectacular doubles they were. The first came on the par-4 ninth, when the former world No 1 four-putted after he had been hanging tough at three under par for the championship and inside the top 10.

Day stroked a brilliant, curling first putt for birdie from 44 feet to three feet, only to push his attempt for par past the hole and then also miss his try at bogey. Seemingly rattled, he then hooked his drive on the 10th into the trees and had to reload with a penalty shot en route to a second double bogey.

The car crash continued when Day, standing awkwardly inside the bunker behind the famous par-3 12th green, putted his second shot through and into the water for another double. He then had to reload again on the par-5 13th after hooking his drive deep into the Georgian pine trees.

He settled briefly with pars on 14 and 15 before dropping another shot on 16 and finishing with an elusive birdie at the last. When he finally added up the damage, Day signed for an 80.

It was a depressing end to what had been another promising tournament for the resurgent star. After top-20 finishes at all seven of his PGA Tour events in 2023, and making the quarter-finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play last time out, the former major winner arrived at Augusta as one of the outside contenders.

He lived up to that billing to be solo second at nine under par late in Friday’s second round, before a watery double-bogey on the