The Barclays 2015 results: Jason Day makes his argument for ‘best player in the world’

This was a fun and appropriate way to start the PGA Tour “postseason” coming off that incredible and transitional regular season. Jason Day, who has quickly turned all that talent into major results this year, is joining the Rory-Jordan debate initiated this summer. Day followed up his record-setting PGA Championship by running away with The Barclays, the opening leg of the FedExCup Playoffs.

Day cruised to this title in much the same way he did at Whistling Straits three weeks ago. He started Sunday with the lead, promptly jumped way in front and strolled down the back nine with a multi-shot cushion thanks to some unconscious putting. While Rory McIlroy decided to sit this one out and rest his ankle, and Jordan Spieth missed the cut, it wasn’t as if there were a bunch of chumps chasing Day this weekend. Henrik Stenson, a former FedExCup winner and legit top-10 player in the world, got within two shots and made it moderately interesting on the back nine. Zach Johnson, the reigning Champion Golfer of the Year and 12-time PGA Tour winner, also emerged as a primary challenger.

But no one really came close to making Day sweat. He gave them no quarter, just as Day did with Spieth when he tried to apply pressure with his own world-class golf at the PGA. Day poured in a putt from 27 feet at the 10th, then bombed in 62 feet of putts on consecutive holes at the 14th and 15th.

It just got silly -- the 33-footer at the 15th right after the putt at the 14th had us wondering not whether he’d win but if he’d miss another putt on his way to the clubhouse to collect another huge check and trophy.

While it’s unsurprising to see Day win another PGA Tour event, it did come during a week when it looked like he might not even be able to finish. On Tuesday, he injured his back moving a box under the motorhome he takes from stop to stop with his family. He withdrew from Wednesday’s pro-am and then started Thursday’s opening round grimacing in pain upon impact with the driver. The balls were sailing completely off the course as he went to grab his back, and it looked like he’d be a WD before the end of the first round.

Well, three days later and the 27-year-old now has his third win in his last four starts. A 7-under third round 63 on Saturday rocketed him up the leaderboard and back into contention, which is pretty much where he’s been every weekend since February. Then he just turned it on Sunday again with a 62 and annihilated the field’s chances early in the back nine.

The six-shot win had both Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo hailing him as the best player in the world ... right now. It’s all a matter of framing. Jordan Spieth is the best player in the world if you measure this year. Rory McIlroy will be No. 1 in the world come Monday morning’s rankings, which take the last two years into account. But it’s hard to argue anyone is playing better than Day right now, and he’s now No. 1 in the FedExCup standings and making a run at that same spot in the world rankings. It’s great start to the postseason and reaffirmed the notion that Day has the talent to join Rory and Jordan to make this a “Big 3” battle for the next 20 years or so.

Here are your final results from The Barclays:

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