Jason Day fights off potential meltdown to share RBC Heritage lead

Jason Day slipped his arms in a gray Adidas pullover and tugged it over his head, warming up after a trying day.

Day likened the Masters last week to a marathon championship fight and was dreading the mental battle he expected Friday at Harbour Town Golf Links with an early tee time and poor weather predicted. But Day felt conditions were better than expected and he shook off a potential mental meltdown late in the round to grab a share of the lead at 6 under par after two rounds of the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing.

Day fired a second 2-under 69, overcoming an out-of-bounds drive on No. 5 to salvage a bogey and shelving a moment threatening to derail his round. The world’s top-ranked player is 6 under for the tournament and shares the lead with Charley Hoffman and Kevin Chappell headed to the weekend.

“I was standing on the green on 5, and it felt like it took the wind out of my sails a little bit,” Day said. “I started feeling tired behind my eyes and saying to myself, ‘Stop thinking about it, just focus on what you need to do.’ After I holed the putt then it kind of went away.”

Familiar names will be chasing Day. And some new faces are sprinkled with old.

Luke Donald is 5 under, along with Russell Knox, whose 6-under 65 was the day’s low round. Matt Kuchar, who won in 2014, is two shots behind with 36 holes to play.

Hoffman has contended here in the past, with a two-shot lead entering the final round in 2013. He has been in the mix in other tournaments this year before fading late.

His final-round scoring average in seven events this year is 74.7 and his best finish a tie for 11th at the Valspar Championship in March.

“Hopefully the more times you knock on the door, hopefully it opens up pretty soon,” Hoffman said. “I feel good about the game, feel good where I’m at. Just something I’m going to have to overcome.”

Bryson DeChambeau, the flashy U.S. Amateur champion who leaves media members scrambling for dictionaries, is only three back heading into the weekend and will earn his first tour check. Knox won for the first time at a World Golf Championships event in November and is knocking again, three consecutive birdies on the final nine spurring his finish.

The cold temperatures and wind kept scores modest. But players said the wind has blown the same direction throughout the week and allowed them to make necessary adjustments.

Chappell is trying to win his first PGA Tour event, in his 151st start. He missed the cut his past two tries on Hilton Head and had not broken 70 here before this year.

But there are signs a breakthrough could be coming. Chappell has finished runner-up twice this year, including a second-place finish behind Day at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The 29-year-old Chappell has family in town this week, including a son who celebrated his first birthday this week. He likes the atmosphere on the island and being able to walk from place to place.

His struggles in the past here could have been due to unnecessary aggressiveness, he said.

“But I feel like I have a better formula this year, a little more simple,” Chappell said.

Day’s formula is to continue to press to widen the gap on his hold on No. 1.

He admitted to the Masters draining his energy and commiserated Friday with Brandt Snedeker.

“It beat us up, it really did,” Day said.

He worked to be mentally ready for Thursday but after two rounds is again feeling pummeled by a golf course requiring a lot of thought.

“But I’m just trying to do my job, and my job is to try and win the best I can,” Day said. “... I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Jason Day fights off potential meltdown to share RBC Heritage lead."