Jason Day is sick of the bitter pills but feels his time will come in major championships.
The 25-year-old walked on to the 11th tee at Merion Golf Club with a share of the US Open lead, just two months after holding a two-shot advantage with three holes to play at the Masters.
He walked off the 18th green at three-over par, eventually two shots shy of Justin Rose in a tie for second, his third runner-up in his first 11 majors.
He also has a third, from the Masters this year, and a tie for 10th on his major championship resume, leaving him agonisingly shy on multiple occasions.
Day was looking to help Australia to back-to-back majors for the first time and continue on from David Graham’s 1981 triumph at Merion, the last time it hosted the US Open.
Instead, he’ll head to the British Open at Muirfield next month as the only player to be in the top 10 of both majors this year.
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“As long as I keep knocking on the door, I think I’ll win a major here soon,” a disappointed but somewhat upbeat Day said.
“Unfortunately, things happen in golf and that’s just the way it is.”
At Augusta in April, Day had the tournament in his control and dropped two shots late to open the door for Adam Scott.
In his first runner-up, the 2011 Masters, he charged home with two birdies to join the lead only to be run down by Charl Schwartzel.
At the 2011 US Open, Day produced one of the greatest scrambling performances in major history, running up a record 45 closing holes without a bogey, but was still a distant eight shots behind a record-breaking Rory McIlroy.
At Merion, the tough course was probably more to blame, although a few loose swings at critical times hurt.
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On the tee at 11, right after seeing he’d joined the lead, he nervously pushed an iron into the rough on the right.
From there, he found water and from the drop zone he once again found rough but then produced a stunning chip in to save bogey and essentially his chances.
A wild drive on the 14th some 25 metres right led to another bogey before he lipped out a close putt on the final hole for another dropped shot on the back nine.
But he looked a different golfer than Augusta where he “just psyched myself out a little bit”, with more steel and focus.
From the outside looking in, it appeared he turned a corner despite the result.
“I think I moved in the right direction with experience,” he said.
“When I woke up this morning, I was very calm. It just felt right. I played some nice golf. Hit a lot of good quality shots.
“I think I’ve just got to keep putting myself in position to win and I feel that my game is in a really good spot right now.
“I’m doing the little things that count. I’ve been close so many times now in majors, especially at a young age, which is nice.”
When asked if he felt there was a sense of inevitability of him finally clearing the last hurdle, Day said: “It totally depends on me”.
“If I want it enough and I’m willing to do the hard work and practice and keep myself dedicated, I think it will happen.
“If I slack off and don’t do the work, then it won’t happen.”
