UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. -- There was plenty of drama at the end of the U.S. Open Sunday, but Jason Day wasn't part of it.
It was the story many fans wanted to see, the popular Australian golfer gutting it out through his illness to win the championship. It would have been the feel-good moment to end a week with way too many feel-bad moments and ugly comments about Chambers Bay.
Day only needed to hang in there one more round and fight his way through the vertigo condition that caused him to collapse in front of the ninth green on Friday.
It was too much to ask in the end. Day shot a 4-over 74 on Sunday to finish tied for ninth with world No. 1 Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry.
So many people in the crowd were rooting for Day. Some of them probably didn't know who he was until Friday went he collapsed to the ground, but slowly managed to get back up and finish his last hole of the day.
From that point on, including his inspirational round Saturday, Day was the crowd favorite.
"I was taken by the fact that so many people supported me," Day said. "I really made a lot of Jason Day fans out there this week, even though it didn't end up the way I wanted it to end up."
Day finished 5 shots behind winner Jordan Spieth in one of the most dramatic and stunning U.S. Open finishes in history.
Saturday morning, no one knew for sure if Day would continue, even though he was only 3 shots behind the leaders. He came to the first tee, obviously not feeling well, but courageously battled through nausea, dizziness and fatigue from the medications he was taking.
Day looked as though he might pass out again at times Saturday, but he shot an impressive 68. It included a birdie on 18 to the joyous cheers of the crowd, knowing Day was tied for the lead heading into the final round.
Could he do it one more time and overcome everything that challenged him?
Whatever emotional energy Day mustered for his inspiring round Saturday was long gone Sunday. The tank was empty.
Day entered the last round in a four-way tie for the lead, but was out of contention after double-bogey on 13 left him 5-over for the round.
He was in the final pairing Sunday with Dustin Johnson, who had a golden opportunity to win it on 18. Day courteously putted out on the final hole to give the stage to Johnson. He had a 12-foot eagle putt to win it, but ended with a shocking 3-putt to give the championship to Spieth.
At the moment, Johnson probably felt a lot worse than Day, no matter how queasy the Aussie might have been.
"Actually, I started feeling a lot better after the 12th hole," Day said. "I felt relatively good and felt strong. That was a plus. I'm just glad that I got it in on the weekend. Not bad considering."
While playing the final two rounds, Day rarely looked down unless it was to bend over and grab his knees. When he checked his notebook, he would hold it at eye level in order to keep his head up and not risk more dizziness.
Day was even after the first three holes Sunday, but bogeyed three of the next four holes. He was 4-over after 10 holes. "I think I hit 13 greens and just didn't capitalize at all on the stuff that I had,'' Day said. "It's unfortunate because I felt like I gave myself enough opportunities. If a couple of putts -- 11 and 12 -- go in, it's a different story."
The feel-good story for the man feeling bad never materialized, but he earned a lot of respect from fans and fellow competitors for toughing it out until the end.
"I fought a good fight,'' Day said. "And I think everybody that watched the telecast knows that I never gave up. It was a battle."