PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The biggest change Jason Day made this year was a series of text messages and phone calls with Colin Swatton, his longtime coach who was a father figure to him when Day was 12.
They had stopped working together seven years ago, but toward the end of last year, Day realized he needed a set of eyes instead of relying on his own feels and instincts.
And he felt fortunate Swatton had time to take him back on as a client.
“I had zero idea what was going on,” Day said at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he contended until a late double bogey and wound up in a tie for eighth.
“Even though I know a good chunk of swing stuff, it’s nice to have someone kind of standing over your shoulder, guiding you where you need to be, just kind of keeping you in the bumper rails,” he said. “Because that’s the last thing you need as a player is to do it by yourself.”
He first had to check to see if Swatton had time from his work as a TV commentator and coaching Karl Vilips of Australia, who won the Puerto Rico Open last week. Day and Swatton didn’t work in person until the week before Bay Hill, mostly biomechanics and putting technique.
“We’ve got a lot of history together, so it’s nice to be able to pull the old-school team back,” Day said. “It’s nice to be able to have a team that really cares about what I’m trying to achieve out on the golf course.”
Tiger calling
Karl Vilips was scrolling through his text messages after he won the Puerto Rico Open, and there was one random number he didn’t recognize.
The same number also tried to call him. Turns out it was Tiger Woods.
“There was a voicemail saying, ‘It’s Tiger,’ and I couldn’t process it in the moment,” Vilips said. “I was just trying to ... I’ll get back to that later. That’s pretty cool.”
There’s a recent relationship that goes beyond both being Stanford alums. Vilips became the first player (other than Tiger) be a representative of the new Sun Day Red brand that Woods began a year ago. That makes Vilips the first winner in Sun Day Red apparel.
“I signed it three weeks ago, so not too long since a Sun Day Red player has gotten a win,” he said. “I think it’s really special. I think it shows me that there’s a reason why they chose me to rep their brand.”
Aberg’s pace
Some players like to spend hours on the range. Ludvig Aberg is among those who prefer to play, which is what he believes led to him being quick with his decisions and his pace of play.
“Growing up, I didn’t really practice, I only played,” the Swede said. “I played a bunch of golf growing up. When I was introduced to practice I didn’t really necessarily enjoy it. I didn’t think it was fun to hit balls for a long time, I just wanted to go play and hit shots and go play with my buddies.
“When I played, I didn’t want to be the guy that people were waiting for,” Aberg said. “I just don’t like playing slow, and I want the round to have a nice tempo and a nice flow to it, I guess. So if it comes from that, I don’t know. But it stuck with me.”
Several players were quick when they joined the PGA Tour and then had to adjust to a new pace. Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson were among those who had to teach themselves to move slightly slower.
It doesn’t help Aberg that he also walks briskly.
“The decisions that I make, they’re still going to be quick and they’re still going to be decisive,” he said. “But when I’m walking between shots I might slow it down just a tick.”
Ranking update
Each week, the world ranking gets a little more important as the Masters approaches. The top 50 after the Houston Open and the Indian Open on March 30 are invited to the Masters.
Daniel Berger continues to make strides. Dating to his runner-up finish in Phoenix Open, he has posted four straight finishes in the top 25. His tie for 15th at Bay Hill moved him to No. 42 in the world with three weeks before the cutoff.
Michael Kim has five straight finishes in the top 15, starting with his runner-up finish in Phoenix. He tied for sixth at PGA National and finished fourth at Bay Hill. Kim, who ended last year at No. 155, is now up to No. 52.
Kim made light of the world golf ranking by pointing out on social media that “I'm currently a better golfer than Jon Rahm.”
Rahm, a two-time major champion who nearly two years ago was No. 1 in the world, now plays for LIV and only gets ranking points in the majors and European tour events. He is No. 59.
Out with the new, back to the old
Rory McIlroy changed some of his wedges and the longer clubs for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and then he changed back for the final round at Bay Hill. The good news is the Masters is still a month out, so call that a lesson learned.
“Going back to what I’m comfortable with,” he said Sunday at Bay Hill. “I tried new woods for the first three days, didn’t quite work out the way I wanted it to."
McIlroy said he likely would stay with his old driver through the Masters.
Players often are testing clubs, especially when the manufacturers come out with something new, and supposedly better.
“It’s a blessing and a curse at the same time that we sort of have to go through these 12-month club cycles,” he said. “I probably just didn’t give myself enough time. It can look good on the Trackman and it can look good on the range at home or on the golf course. But once you get out here in these conditions, that’s where it really shows itself. And it just wasn’t quite ready.”
LPGA in LA
Professional golf returns to the greater Los Angeles area next month with JM Eagle LA Championship at El Caballero Country Club, and the tournament sponsor is pitching in to help with relief from wildfires.
Los Angeles-based JM Eagle already has donated $1.5 million aimed at equipping firefighters and first responders. The company, which manufactures plastic pipes, has pledged $5 million more toward rebuilding communities.
Complimentary tickets will be available to those affected by the fires in the Eaton and Palisades area (up to four tickets per family), and first responders, military and their families will get the same courtesy.
And for the second straight year, the 144-player field will get complimentary lodging and shuttle service to the course.
Divots
Steve Timms is wrapping up 25 years of leading the Houston Golf Association that once transformed the Houston Open into a strong tune-up for the Masters and brought nearly $80 million into programs that reached some 350,000 youth and emphasized junior golf. Timms will retire at the end of the month. ... The RSM Classic at Sea Island has extended its title sponsorship through 2028. The tournament is the last one of the year on the PGA Tour and decides who keeps a full card for the following season. ... Laura Frick has been appointed championship director for the 2026 KPMG Women's PGA at Hazeltine. Frick is the first female PGA of America member in that role for what the PGA describes as a spectator championship. ... Russell Henley broke into the top 10 in the world for the first time by winning at Bay Hill.
Stat of the week
Collin Morikawa earned more money for being runner-up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational ($2.2 million) than either of the two majors he won in the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 British Open.
Final word
“This is the third time I’ve played this tournament while this has been going on in some way, shape or form. Yeah, I think we’re kind of like past the level of exhaustion.” — Justin Thomas at The Players Championship on the ongoing split between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press
