SAN DIEGO — Jason Day was asked Friday at Torrey Pines to describe the past three years of his life professionally.
You know, sum up in a sentence or two the absence of victories on the PGA Tour, the chronic back pain stretching into a second decade and the thoughts creeping into your head that your best golf may be behind you.
Describe that.
“A big ball of stress,” said Day, the former world No. 1 and two-time Farmers Insurance Open champion (2015, 2018). “It’s just that you come from being the top of the world and then all of a sudden it kind of falls out beneath you.
“I’m just happy that — I’m obviously not still out of it, but I’m glad that I’ve given myself a chance at it tomorrow.”
A chance?
The 34-year-old Australian shot a 5-under 67 on the South in Friday’s third round to move into a share of the 54-hole lead with Will Zalatoris at 14-under par.
The pair, joined by England’s Aaron Rai, go out at 11:40 a.m. Saturday in the final group aiming for the $1,512,000 winner’s prize.
“That’s the ultimate goal is to put myself in the position where I can win tournaments,” Day said. “I feel like it’s been a long time. Even though I’ve had some good finishes here and there in the last three years, it’s been difficult to know that like, hey, do you want to keep pushing it, because it’s painful either way.
“It’s painful if I walk away, it’s painful if I keep pushing on, so I just had to kind of suck it up. You’ve just got to understand that it’s going to take a long time for me. It may not for other guys, but for me it’s taken a while and just stay patient with myself and just stay positive as much as possible because sooner or later it’s going to change.”
It seems so long ago now that Day won a six-hole playoff for that 2018 Farmers title. Three months later, he won the Wells Fargo Championship. Since then, nothing.
Much of his struggle can be traced to that balky back.
Day has tried seemingly everything to manage the situation, from exercise and epidurals to noninvasive surgery to balloon therapy — blowing up a balloon twice a day to extend his rib cage and put his back in a better posture for swinging a golf club.
This week, he again has resembled the player Farmers fans have warmly embraced.
Day entered the third round tied for sixth, then moved up the leaderboard with two birdies on the front nine.
He gave a stroke back with a bogey on 12, then charged with four birdies over the last six holes, including each of the last three.
That stretch began when Day hit a 28-foot putt on the par-3 16th hole, then put a 125-yard approach shot within 2 1/2 feet on the 17th. It concluded when he put his second shot on the par-5 18th into a greenside bunker, blasted out, then made an 11-footer for his 67.
He expects to have a more restful evening than his playing partners. Day has a dozen PGA Tour titles to his credit. Zalatoris and Rai both are seeking their first.
“It’s nice to be able to know that I’ve done it on the golf course twice, not only in regulation but also in playoffs,” Day said. “But (Saturday’s) a new day, and you don’t know what’s going to come.
“I’ve just got to kind of get a good rest tonight, get into it tomorrow and just be patient.”
A victory would make Day one of only three three-time Farmers winners, joining Tiger Woods (seven) and Phil Mickelson (three).
First ace of week
Maverick McNealy made the first hole-in-one at the Farmers this year, knocking in an 8-iron on the par-3 eighth, which was playing 165 yards. Some of the fans around the green were cheering louder than the rest.
“My uncle runs a dental office here in (Solana Beach) and they all took the day off,” McNealy said. “There’s about 25 people out watching today and all wearing Team Mav hats. They were going nuts. I’m glad it was a lot of fun for them to watch because it’s great for me to have them out here.”
McNealy’s uncle, Bob Randolph, helped this week in other ways as well.
“It’s actually funny,” said McNealy, who is three shots off the lead after a 5-under 67 on Friday. “I was wanting a way to grip my putter consistently like a grip trainer, so I was talking to him about that stuff they use for impressions. We wrapped some of that around my putter grip on Monday, so I saved my putter grip the way my hands go on the putter on a backup putter on Monday with the dental (mold).
“So the Callaway guys have it. We’re going to scan it and replicate it, just have it as a grip trainer. It’s great because I’m playing great this week, so I want to remember how my hands go. It’s just a funny cross-section of dentistry and golf.”
Locals watch
Pat Perez was 1 over through his first four holes Friday but rallied to finish with a 5-under 67 and advance into a tie for 19th at 9 under.
Of the three SDSU alums to make the cut, Xander Schauffele shot the best round with a 3-under 69. He’s at 7 under, one shot ahead of J.J. Spaun (71) and five in front of Scott Piercy (76).
Notable
— The low round of the tournament on the South Course was turned in by Cameron Young, who made the cut on the number but came through Friday with an 8-under 64. He had seven birdies and an eagle with only one bogey, at the eighth.
— Friday’s scoring average was 71.29; the hardest hole, as usual, was the par-4 12th (4.24), while the easiest was the par-5 sixth (4.49).
