Shain: For Jason Day's caddie, a meteoric journey continues in 2015

As "eureka" moments go, it seems almost too simplistic to qualify. Then again, aren't those some of the most profound ones?

It was mid-summer sometime, a casual discussion between Jason Day and his coach/caddie, Bluffton's Colin Swatton, about late-season scheduling. The conversation eventually turned to the world rankings, where a sizzling Jordan Spieth was closing in on No. 1 Rory McIlroy.

Though Day had been in the top 10 for well over a year, any progress always seemed to top out at about No. 4. No guilt in that, certainly, but a bit frustrating to have Spieth zooming past.

"Eventually Jason turns around and says, 'I've just got to win more. It's that simple,'" Swatton recalled. "And I said, 'Yes, it is that simple.'"

Simple, yet so demanding. Just go out and beat the world's best on the biggest stages. The thing is, Day did just that.

Eight weeks ago, he won the Canadian Open. Two weeks later came the PGA Championship, his first major title after six near-misses that left him no worse than fourth. Two FedExCup playoff wins followed, both by six shots.

Suddenly, Day stands No.1 after last week's romp at the BMW Championship.

"It's been some amazing golf," said Swatton, who has a better vantage point than anybody else. "It happens fast when you win four out of your last six starts."

And this week? How about $10 million?

That's the payday awaiting the FedExCup champion after Sunday's conclusion of the Tour Championship. Day leads the points race, though a points reset allows Spieth or Rickie Fowler or Henrik Stenson to snatch the title with a victory at East Lake, Ga.

Still, there's not much debate about the man to beat.

"Five of my last seven rounds were with Jason," Spieth told reporters at East Lake. "He destroyed my score in those rounds."

For the record, Day is 101-under par in his past seven starts, dating back to the British Open when both he and Spieth came up one stroke short of joining the playoff won by Zach Johnson. That also includes last week's opening 61 at Conway Farms.

His worst score in that stretch: 73, which might have kept him from adding the Deutsche Bank Championship to his burgeoning trophy collection.

"It's really great to see," said Swatton, who can glean a double dose of satisfaction considering the duality of his role. "Everything that you're asking him to do from a technical point of view, he's executing. His swing is standing up under pressure. He's able to drive the ball incredibly long and straight.

"Then from a caddie's (view), the way he's moving the ball around the golf course -- it's almost like a chess game. He's hitting the ball where he needs to hit it. He's taking advantage of holes where he needs to take advantage."

More than anything, though, Swatton said he sees a confidence built upon finally seizing the moment.

"There comes a time in every player's career where he feels like, 'OK, it's my time,'" he said. "And I'm sure for Jason, he felt that. He felt he came up short at the British Open. He just had to believe in himself and trust all the hard work put in."

Likewise, Day suggested Wednesday that this time is as much Swatton's as his own.

"It's kind of a neat experience for Col, too," Day said, "because he took a 12-year-old kid who really didn't have a lot and turned him into the best player in the world. That's something that no one can ever take away from him."

Nor has the financial reward been all that bad. A report in this week's Australian Financial Review suggests that Swatton's caddie earnings -- projected at $900,000 -- outpace all but a handful of that country's top athletes this year.

And if Day wins that $10 million pot of gold this week? Though FedExCup champions have differed vastly in how much to reward their caddies, it's worth noting that Billy Horschel gave Micah Fugitt a full 10 percent last year.

"Obviously it's a lot of money," Swatton said, quickly adding that whatever deal he has with Day shall remain private. "I'll just do my job to the best of my ability."

In that sense, it's no different than last week, when Day was shooting for No. 1 in the rankings. Or that elusive major he finally copped at Whistling Straits.

"All we can do is prepare the best we can prepare to win this event," he said. "If we do that, everything takes care of itself."

Follow Jeff Shain at Twitter.com/Jeff Shain.

This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 7:43 PM with the headline "Shain: For Jason Day's caddie, a meteoric journey continues in 2015."