Updated Sep 18, 2015 at 11:21a ET
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) With a chance to make history, Jason Day made par instead on the final hole of his rain-delayed first round for a career-best 61 and a four-shot lead at the BMW Championship.
Day returned to Conway Farms early Friday needing to hole a 44-yard wedge shot from the rough for an eagle and a PGA Tour record-tying 59. His low-running pitch into the ninth green skidded to a stop 10 feet short of the cup. He then lipped out the birdie attempt.
''It sounds like everyone is disappointed,'' Day said. ''Like I said, selfishly, 59 would have been great, but right now I'm just trying to focus on winning the tournament.''
His 10-under total left him clear of a pack of five players at 65, including Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson and newcomer Daniel Berger. Storms forced suspension of the opening round late Thursday afternoon with 52 of the 69 players still on the course.
Day is the No. 1 player in the FedEx Cup race. His best round on tour had been 62 – a number he posted three times previously, all this season.
Spieth, who was playing alongside Day, knocked his approach from 87 yards at No. 9 to 2 feet and rolled in the birdie. The two are battling for the top spot in the season-ending playoff race as well as No. 1 in the rankings in what's become a compelling rivalry.
Asked what he thought of Day's attempt at eagle, Spieth joked afterward, ''It was a bit weak … but I've come to expect not-so-great things from him lately, so didn't really surprise me.''
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