DUBLIN, Ohio — Jason Day’s long and winding road to the world No. 1 ranking began with him circumventing the short-game practice area at his boarding school in Australia. Defying the orders of his instructor, Colin Swatton, Day chose to play a par-3 course over working on his chipping and putting, leading to a loud row with Swatton that Day paved over with a public apology.
Lesson learned. Fifteen years later, Day possesses one of the best short games in men’s golf. He earned the distinction by embracing the unsexy truth that club manufacturers prefer to hide behind the massive heads of their high-priced drivers: a 30-yard or 30-foot shot counts the same on the scorecard as a 300-yard drive.