Jason Day: Too Much Massage Harms My Timing!

In one of the more unintentionally epic first world bits of rationalizing, Jason Day (67) attributed his could-have-been-better round-one Tour Championship to timing issues brought on by too much back massage.

The plight of the modern golfer!

Day WD'd last week from the BMW Championship with a wrenched back, but appears to be on the mend. If he can just get these masseurs under control. From the transcript.

Q.  Pretty decent effort considering where you came from last week and how much work you had to do.

JASON DAY:  I was just explaining earlier with the withdraw from last week's BMW Championship Friday, getting at least two sessions a day, anywhere between two and four hours, that much work can definitely mess with your timing, mess with the sync of the swing, just because things are moving a lot better than what you're used to.

That's why there was a few loose shots out there. 

Meanwhile Day had mental coach Jason Goldsmith on the bag because regular looper Colin Swatton had to give up the bag mid-round with back spasms (Rex Hoggard reports). Hopefully after several 2-to-4 hour massages Swatton’s ability to lift the luggage or give yardages will not be too loose!

Horschel Won't Pass Up Chance At $10 Million For Child's Birth

What refreshing honesty from Billy Horschel who didn't suggest he would give up the chance at the life-changing (and college tuition paying) $10 million FedExCup bonus to be present should his wife go into labor. As you may recall, many golfers have pledged to drop everything they are doing to be there for the big moment, and Tiger was once criticized for daring to try to win a U.S. Open. As I noted at the time, hundreds of millions of times men have not been in the delivery room and something tells me the Earth will remain on its axis should a Horschel child come into being without dad there to be yelled at by mom as she goes through the birthing.

Mark Lamport Stokes on Horschel's comments after an opening 66 has him tied with fellow non-Ryder Cupper Chris Kirk.

"My wife and I are due two weeks from Saturday," Horschel told reporters after charging into a share of the first-round lead at East Lake Golf Club with a four-under-par 66. "On the golf course I'm not thinking about it.

"We have decided that if she (Brittany) goes into labor while I'm playing, I will just keep playing, because $10 million is a lot of money and I'm not going to pass that by.

"And I'll just fly home after the round and fly back (to the tournament) a couple hours later, spend some time with them."