Jason Day unaware he was chasing 59 at BMW Championship

When Jason Day marked his ball in the rough just off the ninth green at Conway Farms after the first round of the BMW Championship was suspended due to inclement weather, he had no idea how significant the 44 yards between his ball and the pin were.

“I wasn’t thinking about it until Jordan [Spieth] told me what could happen on nine,” Day told Golf Channel about what his playing partner said to him as they walked off the course for the day.

“He goes, ‘you’ve got to chip it in now for 59,’” said Day, who responded, “I’m like ‘what?!’

“I was kind of taken aback by it because I didn’t know that I had an opportunity,” he said. “I didn’t know it. I did not know.”

Day, who had all night to ruminate about those 44 yards after the PGA Tour called play until 8:30 a.m. ET Friday, may have been the only one on the grounds unaware that a chip-in for eagle on his final hole of the day would give him the magical sub-60 score. Indeed, the only number he had his sights set on when he took the field to start the third of four FedEx Cup playoff games was “the lowest score I could possibly shoot.”

He did that and then some, as the only thing that could douse the fireworks displayed by Day on Thursday was the soaking rain that halted action with him four strokes clear of unheralded Daniel Berger.

Day, the hottest golfer on the planet entering this third FedExCup leg in Chicago, was absolutely sizzling on day one of the BMW.

The reigning PGA champ started Friday on pace to capture his fourth win in his last six starts, boost his Player of the Year credentials, and ascend to No. 1 in the world. He was 10-under in a round that featured an eagle, nine birdies, and one bogey on a day when guys were finding the bottom of the cup from all over the Chicago area.

Spieth, for one. Playing in the shadow of Day, the world’s second-ranked golfer put his two straight missed cuts well behind him when he aced the par-3 second.

On the strength of wins at the Canadian Open, PGA Championship, and The Barclays in his last five events, Day got off to a blistering start on Thursday. Beginning on the back, he birdied Nos. 10 and 11.

Even a dropped shot on the 17th did not slow him down, as he drained another birdie on 18, holed out for eagle from a fairway bunker on No. 1, and added two more birdies on the second and third. Another pair of birds on seven and eight put Day at 10-under and the golf world was on full 59 alert.

As for how Day planned to attack his first shot of the day on Friday?

“I’m gonna try my best [to hole it],” he said.

Given the wet conditions, scores should be low again during Friday’s second round. It will be tough, however, to match this card and opening statement from Day (via PGATour):