EDISON, N.J. -- At first blush, walking past Jason Day wouldn't put thoughts of "one of the longest drivers on the PGA Tour" into your head.
That is, until you see the 27-year-old pull back the club, torque his back and unleash a swing so powerful that you have to jerk your head violently to keep track of the ball as it sails down the fairway. The key element in that equation is Day's back. It's been almost a year since the reigning PGA Championship winner withdrew from the third FedEx Cup playoff event with back pain.
At this year's playoff opener, the Barclays, the Aussie owns a share of the 54-hole lead after shooting a 7-under-par 63. He likely owes much of that newfound distance to the regimen of exercises he's been doing to keep those back issues at bay.
"The body is actually responding pretty well to what we're doing in the gym, and it's an indication of how far I'm hitting it, as well, because I think I picked up about 10 yards off the tee," said Day.
Actually, coming into this week, Day's driving distance average is up more than 12 yards to a career-high 313.5. That's good enough for third on the PGA Tour, trailing only well-renowned bombers Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson in the rankings.
Day said he spends roughly three hours getting ready for a round of tournament golf, from stretching prior to arriving at the course to working with a trainer once on site.
He's struggled with other maladies recently as well, most notably a severe case of vertigo at the U.S. Open in June. But a bad back for a golfer is like a busted rotator cuff for a pitcher. Both are serious warning signs.
One positive this week? The August heat.
"To be able to have hot weather is huge," said Day. "My body is a totally different body on the West Coast swing compared to the summer swing. It's not to the point where it's stopping me from hitting 300-plus-yard drives, so I'm happy about that."
Not that Day would have wanted the back problems to flare up, but in a roundabout way, the injury that caused the WD at the BMW Championship last September might have actually helped in the long run, forcing him to strengthen those back muscles.
In Round 3, Day actually outdrove Watson on all drives (309 to 301 yards). On the two measured driving holes Saturday, Day's 347.2 yards bested Watson's 338.1 yards, good enough to finish first in the category.
Earlier in the week, Day was paired with Watson for the first two rounds at Plainfield Country Club. At times, Day looked as if he'd struggle to finish the round on Thursday and Friday, much less contend for the victory come Sunday.
Despite clutching his lower back on numerous occasions, he often kept up with Watson in terms of length off the tee, while their other playing partner, Jordan Spieth, was notably shorter than both of them.
On the 18th hole in Round 3, Day unleashed a 294-yard drive on the severely uphill, dogleg left par-4. After getting up and down for birdie from the left side of the green, he was in the clubhouse at 11 under, tied with his Saturday playing partner, Sang-Moon Bae. The two will play again in the final pairing for the second straight day.
As for what Day can expect from his back on Sunday as he shoots for PGA Tour win No. 4? He should like the forecast: 92 degrees.