Jason Day grabs share of lead at Byron Nelson

Irving: An ailing Jason Day struggled to make it to the first tee at the Byron Nelson Championship, but the medicated Australian dug deep and went on to grab a share of the opening-round lead.

Day, the 2006 Australian amateur champion, visited about a dozen doctors recently and was diagnosed with everything from swine flu to bronchitis. "I`ve got meds now that are drying me up and I`m not getting dizzy on the course," a 22-year-old Day told reporters after firing a four-under-par 66. "I was walking back to my car to get a brolly and I felt like getting in and driving home, but I thought about it again and decided to come play and it was probably a good idea." Day, who was widely expected to take the PGA Tour by storm when he earned his card for the 2008 season before he suffered a series of injuries, has a share of the clubhouse lead with American Joe Durant, who played his final three holes in an astonishing five-under at the Four Seasons TPC. Barely half the field completed the round given a weather delay of nearly four hours. Among those who were forced to stop play were Australians Steve Elkington (16 holes) and Jarrod Lyle (11 holes) and American Hunter Mahan (15 holes) who were all four-under par.Day, who started his round at the 10th hole, birdied four of his first six holes. He was not exactly flawless off the tee after that, finding four fairway bunkers, as well as the pond left of the 18th fairway, but he putted superbly. Durant, meanwhile, was one-over after 15 holes but finished in style, going eagle, eagle, birdie his final three holes. "I wasn`t playing great, but I was hanging in there," said Durant. "I was thinking three birdie putts the last three holes, I could sneak out even or one-under.”"I would have been happy with that. Eagle, eagle, birdie turned my day around, that`s for sure." Bureau Report