Jason Day close again, ties for second at Open

ARDMORE, Pa. - Third place at the Masters. Tied for second at the U.S. Open.

And that's just this year.

Jason Day's too young to get saddled with that dreaded Best Player Never To Win a Major label, so he might as well go ahead and win one.

"As long as I keep knocking on the door," he said Sunday, "I think I'll win a major here soon."

It sure looks inevitable after watching him this week at Merion Golf Club. Rounds of 70, 74, 68 and 71 can be worn liked a badge of honor at a championship in which the winning score was Justin Rose's 1-over 281. Day finished two shots back, tied with Phil Mickelson.

"At the start of the week everyone thought we were going to rip it up," Day said. "But I just knew that somewhere around even par was going to win it, and I just had to stick in there. So I was very patient with myself and happy with how I handled myself, and now I just got to keep giving myself shots at majors."

The 25-year-old Day has played in five majors. He's finished out of the top 10 once.

The Australian debuted with a tie for 60th at the 2010 British Open. Since then, his record is the envy of many of his colleagues: tied for 10th at the 2010 PGA Championship, tied for second behind champion Charl Schwartzel at the 2011 Masters, outright second behind Rory McIlroy at Congressional in 2011.