Jason Day crowned golf’s world No. 1

JASON Day has become the youngest Australian to be golf’s world No.1, after storming to victory at the BMW Championship.

BMW Championship - Final Round

JASON Day has won the BMW Championship to become the new No. 1 in world golf.

The 27-year-old Queenslander is the third but youngest Australian behind Greg Norman and Adam Scott to assume the mantle.

Day finished 22-under par to win by six strokes from second-placed American Daniel Berger.

Rory McIlroy and American trio JB Holmes, Rickie Fowler and Scott Piercy finished tied for third at 14-under.

Sitting back at world No. 9 after missing a playoff at the British Open by a shot in mid July, Day has gone on an absolute tear - winning the Canadian Open, the PGA Championship (for his maiden major win), the opening FedEx Cup playoff event at the Barclays and now the third playoff event at the BMW Championship. He leapfrogs Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy into top spot and at 27 years, 10 months and eight days smashes Greg Norman’s mark of the youngest Australian to be the world’s best.

Norman was 31 years, seven months, 14 days old when he was on top for the first of 331 weeks in his career while Adam Scott was 33 when he ruled the golfing world for 11 weeks in 2014.

Ridiculed and hammered when he voiced his dream as a 19-year-old rookie to become world No.1, Day has finally given his critics a serve of humble pie and looks set to fight with McIlroy and Spieth at the top for years to come.

How sweet it is. Thank you everyone @BMWchamps & also my entire team. #WorldNo1 Been an amazing ride! Onward to more! pic.twitter.com/pQAbbAXb2Z

— Jason Day (@JDayGolf) September 20, 2015

Day’s six shot overnight lead was down to five as he teed off but despite the fact he missed makeable birdie chances on four of his opening seven holes no serious challenger has emerged.

A birdie on the eighth pushed his lead to seven and although he three-putted the ninth for bogey he remains odds-on to claim a fourth win in his past six starts.

Since missing a playoff by one shot at the British Open in July, Day has won the Canadian Open, his first major at the PGA Championship and the opening playoff event at the Barclays.

A win here would be a fifth in 2015 and seventh US PGA tour win overall.

He is already guaranteed passage through to the final FedEx Cup playoff event next week where, should he win at East Lake Golf Club, he will also claim the $US10 million ($A13.94 million) bonus. Matt Jones finished his efforts with a four-under-67 to finish at seven under par, which currently is not enough to survive to the Tour Championship next week.

Steven Bowditch finished with a 68 to be five under but has done enough to make it to the 30-man final shootout in Atlanta.

Jason Day plays his second shot on the ninth hole during the final round of the BMW Championship.

Originally published as Jason Day crowned golf’s world No. 1