Jason Day US Open championship hopes

NOTORIOUS runner-up Jason Day will need to put past finals experiences behind him if he is to be a chance to take out his first ever major victory.

ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND - JULY 19: Jason Day of Australia looks on from the 18th tee during the third round of the 144th Open Championship at The Old Course on July 19, 2015 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

A MONTH ago, Jason Day collapsed on the ninth hole in the third round of the US Open with a scary case of vertigo.

A month later, the Australian is leading the British Open entering Monday’s final round at St. Andrews. Day, who shot 67 Sunday, is 12-under and tied with 2010 Open winner Louis Oosthuizen and 22-year-old Irish amateur Paul Dunne.

This is the latest in a series of major championships Day has had a sniff of.

He was the 54-hole leader at last month’s US Open at Chambers Bay, but faded to a tie for ninth with his health issues surely hampering him.

He tied for second at the 2013 US Open after being tied for the lead on the 11th hole in the final round.

He led the 2013 Masters on the 16th hole in the final round and finished third.

In the 2011 US Open, won by Rory McIlroy in a runaway, he finished second.

He, too, finished second in the 2011 Masters.

“Over the last few years that I’ve played and been in contention at major championships, I felt like I’ve learned a lot,’’ Day said.

“The biggest thing for me is to understand that [Monday] is going to be a tough round. There’s going to be a lot of wind, there’s going to be a lot of rain, there’s going to be a lot of guys that are going to shoot low scores.

“It’s a pretty tight leader board if you look at it. There’s a lot of good players that are behind us trying to chase that lead. Trying not to get so absorbed and attached to the leader board, and pretty much what I did today, just to really stay patient and let the birdies come to you.

“It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a good challenge. I think I need to just embrace it more. It’s hard to not get out in front of yourself. It can be hard to stay present. That’s one key that I’m going to try and do the best I can is really just kind of focus on myself and be present as much as possible.’’

Kind words from Tiger Woods will give Day confidence heading into the final of the U.S. Open.

Day played his first two rounds with Tiger Woods, who told him when they walked up 18 on Saturday that he was good enough to win the tournament, that the walk up 18 at St. Andrews “is the best walk in golf.’’

“As we were walking off the green [Saturday], he just said, ‘Go get it done, you know what you need to do,’ ’’ Day said.

“To hear that advice come from that person gives you a boost of confidence.’’

Day will be paired in the final round with Jordan Spieth, who’s one shot out of the lead and trying to win his third consecutive major.

“He’s just playing phenomenal golf, [but] I can’t control what he does,’’ Day said.

“I’m actually quite surprised that he goes ahead and he won last week [at the John Deere], and flying over, different time zone, very early in the week. I thought that prep was going to be very difficult. But obviously I’m wrong.

“He’s a heavy favourite [Monday], just being one shot back. Everyone knows it.’’

Originally published as Jason Day US Open championship hopes