Jason Day’s gutsy U.S. Open performance draws comparisons to Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan

Jason Day, some 24 hours after collapsing with vertigo late on Friday, gutted out a 2-under 68 to take a share of the third-round lead at Chambers Bay and earn comparisons to Tiger Woods’ one-legged U.S. Open win.

“It brings to mind Ken Venturi in 1964 at Congressional,” Fox Sports anchor Joe Buck said, referring to the severe dehydration Venturi played through for the victory. “Tiger Woods in 2008 playing on that torn ACL. Don’t want to overdo it but this is some kind of effort by Jason Day.”

Day’s caddie, Colin Swatton, agreed.

“They’re going to make a movie about that round,” he told Day, whom he was feeding water and food throughout Saturday’s round just to keep him going. “It was pretty impressive. It was up there with Tiger Woods playing with a broken leg at the U.S. Open.”

Woods famously limped through the 2008 national championship at Torrey Pines, revealing after he defeated Rocco Mediate in a playoff that he competed with two stress fractures in his tibia and needed reconstructive knee surgery.

Some observers likened Day’s accomplishment to other sports figures’ legendary performances as well, in particular Michael Jordan’s “flu game” in the 1997 NBA Finals against the Jazz.

Day, questionable even to start following a severe bout of dizziness that knocked him to the ground on the final hole of his second round, almost quit three times on the back nine. Like the virus-weakened Jordan in Game 5 of the ’97 series, Day got off to a shaky start with two bogeys in his first four holes and went out in 2-over 37, but got stronger as the hours wore on.

“I felt pretty groggy on the front nine just from the drugs that I had in my system, then kind of flushed that out on the back nine. But then it kind of came back -- the vertigo came back a little bit on the 13th tee box, and then felt nauseous all day,” Day told a small group of reporters after signing his scorecard. “I started shaking on 16 tee box and then just tried to get it in, really. Just wanted to get it in.”

Back-to-back birdies on his closing holes capped a 4-under back nine that included five birdies and one bogey. If he can go on Sunday, Day will be in the final twosome with Dustin Johnson, with Branden Grace and Jordan Spieth directly ahead of them. All four are tied at 4-under.

Day has three top-four finishes in four previous U.S. Open championships -- second in 2011, T2 in 2013 and T4 in 2014 -- but Saturday was a first for the 27-year-old Australian.

Saturday’s bout of what has been diagnosed as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (and expertly explained by Dr. Greg Norman) was just the latest in a series of ailments Day has dealt with over the last few years.

Most recently, the condition forced him to withdraw from last month’s Byron Nelson.

“Last year I didn’t play the round after I had vertigo and this one was worse,” Day said. “The goal was just to get through today and see how it goes.”

Day’s valiant efforts -- which included driving the green on the 372-yard par-4 16th and posting one of only six rounds under par -- won him legions of new fans, rousing cheers across the course, and an enormous reception when he buried his birdie putt on the 18th.

Day’s feat was all the more remarkable because he struggled just to pick up his tees and retain his balance all day, physically and mentally leaning on his caddie.

“He just dug as deep as he could possibly dig today and it was just a monumental effort,” Swatton said. “A lot of people diagnosed with that would spend the time in the bedroom with drapes drawn and get over that recovery period, but it’s the U.S. Open.”

As anyone who has dealt with BPPV (a minor but debilitating disorder) can attest, just sitting in a chair, let alone bending down or turning your head, can bring on the sensation that everything around you is spinning out of control. That Day was able to pick up his tee or mark his ball without falling over was extraordinary.

“We spoke about whether he wanted me to [mark the ball] and so he gave me a look ... ‘Why did you even ask me that for,’” said Swatton. “He just said he’s exhausted. He just didn’t feel right.

“But every time he said that we just tried to focus on one more shot, one more hole,” Swatton said. “That was the greatest round I’ve ever watched. I’ve watched a lot of golf and to watch it live is pretty special.”

Tiger and MJ special.