Jason Day withdrawing from a PGA Tour event is a sight golf fans have unfortunately gotten used to in recent years. The Aussie star’s latest WD, however, came at a particularly bad time.
The tour announced on Friday that Day pulled out ahead of the second round of the Wyndham Championship due to an illness. This coming with the former World No. 1 ranked 115th in the FedEx Cup standings as the season concludes this week.
The worst part? Day was in good position to make a nice move after an opening 67. Which was coming on the heels of a final-round 66 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where he finished T-17.
Day should still be safe to remain in the top 125 and earn a spot for next week’s FedEx St. Jude Classic, which kicks off the three-tournament FedEx Cup Playoffs. Those qualifying also keep their PGA Tour cards for next season, although Day’s card is secured through the end of the 2024 season due to his Players Championship win in 2016.
But had it not been for the dozen or so players defecting to LIV Golf (so far), it could have been a different story. Because anyone who has played in the new league has been removed from the newly created FedEx Cup eligibility list standings, bumping up those who stayed. Although three defectors, Talor Gooch, Matt Jones, and Hudson Swafford, are seeking a temporary restraining order to play in the playoffs as part of a larger lawsuit by 11 LIV players against the PGA Tour. Rickie Fowler may not wind up as fortunate as Day.
Day finished 114th in the FedEx Cup standings last season, by far the worst spot of his career. But his struggles have continued in 2022 with just one individual top-10 finish, a T-3 at Torrey Pines in January. The 12-time PGA Tour winner last won at the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship.