AUSTIN, Texas -- Despite a lower back issue that caused him to leave the course in pain a day earlier, Jason Day began play Thursday afternoon at the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship against Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee.
Day, 28, seemed fine when warming up on the driving range, but appeared careful when hitting his driver and fairway woods and was rubbing his lower back as he was being announced on the first tee.
Nonetheless, he drove the par-4 first green, hitting a 372-yard (downwind) tee shot to set up a 12-foot eagle putt -- which he made.