Glory day nears for amazing Fil-Aussie

MANILA, Philippines - No less than newly crowned US Open champion Rory McIlroy said that Jason Day’s day will come.

“I said to him that he’s very close,” McIlroy whispered to Day during awards rites in the US Open won by the Irishman in record fashion.

While McIlroy became the toast of the golfing world with a 16-under 268, the 23-year-old Filipino-Australian emerged as the next big thing in the sport, turning in a second straight runner-up finish in a major after finishing tied for second with compatriot Adam Scott in the US Masters last April.

He closed out with a 68 to beat four others for the runner-up honors, capping a flawless weekend that included a six-under 65 in the third round at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.

“Obviously, coming to a US Open course that I’ve never played before, I was thinking a four-under would win it,” Day said. “And what was it, 16-under? That’s phenomenal golf. I played really, really solid golf all weekend, which I wanted to do. I’m very, very happy to finish second.”

Day, who once credited his “killer-instinct” to his Filipina mother Dening, actually has been playing some superb golf lately, his resume looking better by the month. But he has not been getting the big breaks needed to win the big one.

“Jason has played fantastically the last three majors,” noted McIlroy. “He had a chance at Whistling Straits (tied 10th at the USPGA), finished second at Augusta then finished second again this week.”

Those runner-up finishes gave Day the reputation as an emerging force in big-time golf.

“It’s my first US Open. I’m very excited that I finished second,” said Day. “I’m not going to go home and cry because I got whipped.”

He wound up eight strokes behind McIlroy and though his finish was commendable, he was quick put the result into perspective in light of McIlroy’s stunning exhibition of near-flawless golf.

“You can’t beat a guy that’s gone out and played as well as he has this week,” Day said. “He just didn’t miss a beat, played phenomenal golf.”

Day did play some impressive golf himself after scoring 71 and 72 for a one-over card for the tournament at the halfway mark.

But he fired a six-under-par 65 in Saturday’s third round and 68 on Sunday, finishing the tournament without a single bogey over the last 45 holes.