Jason Day has made his 2018 intentions clear early in the year, the former World Number One finishing first and second in his opening two events.

After a 2017 which was below his own lofty standards, the Queenslander looks in a mood to climb back to the top of the golf world and with four events of the season gone is yet to finish worse than T11.

Starting the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am two shots behind eventual winner Ted Potter Jr, Day made a good fist of the final day chase despite some wayward shots but the American’s front nine brilliance all but ended the hopes of the field.

Potter went to the turn 3-under and cruised to the clubhouse with nine straight pars on the inward journey.

Day, one of 10 Australians in the field, added to an already stellar record at America’s most famous course, the T2 result his third top five in nine starts.

With Rod Pampling and Aaron Baddeley the only other Down Under representatives to make the cut Day easily claimed Australian bragging rights, Pampling next best at T47 and Baddeley T55.

Cameron Percy, Matt Jones, Adam Scott, Greg Chalmers Stuart Appleby and sponsor’s invite Cameron Davis all missed the cut, Scott no doubt particularly disappointed with his frist event of 2018.

An opening 77 at the more difficult of the three courses used for the tournament, Spyglass Hill, did the damage and while steady efforts of 70-70 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club and Pebble Beach were credible it was too little too late.

Having not played since missing the cut at the Australian PGA Championship it is perhaps understandable there would be some signs of rust in Scott’s game and that was evident with 12 bogeys and a double over the 72 holes.

On the up side he also made 12 birdies for the week which will be a source of encouragement heading to one of his favourite stops on the PGA TOUR, The Genesis Open at Riviera.

The 54-hole cut fell at 3-under with Percy the only other Australian to come close to qualifying for the weekend.

Playing Spyglass Hill last in the rotation he came up one shot shy of playing the final round despite two desperate back-9 birdies including at the 18^th.

Jason Day won his first Professional tournament since THE PLAYERS Championship in May of 2016 after a six-hole playoff at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Day finished the regulation 72 holes at 10-under the card to earn himself a spot in a three-way playoff against American Ryan Palmer and Sweden’s Alex Noren.

After Palmer was eliminated following the first playoff hole, Day and Noren couldn’t be separated after a further four holes and were forced to return on Monday morning due to fading light.

It was a nerve wracking sleep for the Queenslander who would go on to win his second Farmers Insurance Open title with a birdie on his 78^th hole of the tournament.

“I didn’t sleep well, I didn’t sleep well at all, it was tough,” said Day.

“The crazy thing is you feel like you’re going to go out and play 18 holes again but you’re not, you’re actually coming out like okay, I’ve got to make sure I beat this guy because it could be over in one hole, which it was and luckily I was on the right side of it.

“You’re nervous but on the other hand you’re not. Like I said yesterday, I was more nervous in regulation than I was in the actual playoff, and the same thing happened today, I was just kind of really calm about it because I knew that I had a shot.

“It was just me and him and I kind of like that match play scenario. I’ve won two WGC Match Plays and going one-on-one I actually really like that.”

The Torrey Pines course has proved a happy hunting ground for Day who won the Junior World Championship in 2004 and the Farmers Insurance Open in 2015, the latter win signaling a career year for Day who would win his first major, the PGA Championship, and reach the World Number 1 ranking.

“It is special to be able to win here again. Like I said earlier on the putting green, this was my first win when I first came over here as a junior, I won the World Junior Championships here, and being able to win in 2015 really propelled me to a really great year,” added Day.

“I won my first major, got to Number 1 in the world and I’m hoping to do much of the same this year. Obviously the preparation and the hard work over the holidays have really paid off early so I need to make sure that I stay on top of it.

“It’s great to be in the winner’s circle again. I’m really, really pleased. This is a good kickoff to start the year and hopefully bigger things to come.”

Day also gave special mention to former ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Professional and childhood friend Rika Batibasaga who caddied for him at Torrey Pines this week.

“The thing is with Rika, he’s my best mate and we grew up together. We’ve known each other since we were like eight, nine years old. We played golf together for a very, very long time. He knows my game and I know his game and he’s a professional golfer. But to have him on the bag first week out, he was nervous because I kind of threw him in the deep end quick,” Day said of his caddy for the week.

“He did a fantastic job. The great thing is I wanted to win this tournament for myself but to be able to impact him because we’re childhood friends and the hard work that put in over the last two weeks, it’s really going to help him and his wife, his new wife Katie along the way.”

Last year was difficult for Day who not only struggled to find form on the course but faced some personal issues off it, now on the other side of one of the toughest years of his career he is ready to keep the momentum rolling from this week’s win.

“I think last year was a good kick in the butt, you know, not really being talked about, and being talked about for the wrong reasons. I see the guys winning, Jordan (Spieth) and Dustin are (Johnson) playing some tremendous golf, Jon Rahm’s playing some tremendous golf, and I feel like I should be there as well winning,” added Day.

“I feel different this year than what I did last year. Last year I felt mentally stressed but also rundown, burnt out. It was hard for me to be on the golf course, but this year my whole mindset’s different.

“I’m very motivated to get back to the Number 1 spot and I know that the only way to get back to the Number 1 spot is to win and that’s what I’ve just got to do.”

Day’s next tournament is the AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to be played from 8-11 February.

Day collects first PGA Tour win since the 2016 PLAYERS Championship.

It only took a matter of minutes for the Farmers Insurance Open to be decided Monday.

The playoff between Jason Day and Alex Noren extended to an extra day after they tied the first five extra holes. Day made birdie on the first hole played Monday to win his first title since the 2016 PLAYERS Championship. It was Day’s 11th PGA TOUR victory.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Day said. “I know last year wasn’t the best year for me. …I worked hard in the offseason to get back in this position.”

It was Day’s fourth consecutive birdie on Torrey Pines’ par-5 finishing hole in the playoff.

Noren hit first from the fairway Monday, knocking his second shot into the water. Day laid up from the right rough, then hit his wedge shot 1 foot from the hole. Noren made bogey before Day attempted his birdie putt.

On Sunday, Day and Noren birdied the par-5 18th all three times they played it – on the first second and fifth playoff holes – and made par on the par-3 16th and par-4 17th holes.

Ryan Palmer exited the playoff on the first extra hole after making par on the par-5 18th. The trio finished regulation tied at 10-under 278. Noren, the 54-hole leader, shot a final-round 73, while Day shot 70. Palmer shot 72 on Sunday.

Jason Day and Alex Noren went 77 holes in the Farmers Insurance Open, and it still wasn’t enough to decide a winner.

Day holed a 6-foot birdie putt in the dark on the fifth hole of a sudden-death playoff on Sunday. Noren followed with a 5-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole at Torrey Pines. They had no choice but to return Monday morning to decide the longest playoff in the 67-year history of the event.

Day is trying to end 20 months without a victory, his most recent win coming in May 2016 at THE PLAYERS Championship when he was Number 1 in the world.

"I’ll play all day tomorrow if I need to get the win," Day said.

With Day front and centre over the final 18 holes at Torrey Pines Marc Leishman’s fourth top-10 in 10 starts at the California venue flew under the radar as the Victorian continues to show excellent form heading into 2018.

Leishman has twice been runner-up at the Farmers Insurance Open and also has another top-10 to his name when T9 in 2011.

After a career year in 2017 Leishman has started strong again in 2018 and despite a final round of 1-over 73 moved up four places to be T8, his third top-10 in five starts for the wraparound season.

Nine Australasians started the week at Torrey Pines with Leishman one of five to qualify for the weekend.

Australian PGA champion Cameron Smith was next best after Leishman with a T20 finish, his fifth in as many starts for the 2017/18 season.

Like Leishman, Smith has had his best year as a Professional in 2017 and early indications are that 2018 will be a continuation of that.

The 22-year-old has one PGA TOUR win on his resume after capturing the teams event at the Zurich Classic last April and will be hungry to add a second individual title in 2018.

Smith was at less than his best for much of the week but in difficult scoring conditions his even par final round was enough to move him 11 places up the standings.

New Zealand’s Danny Lee and Australian Open winner Cameron Davis both found the going tough on Sunday as strong breezes made scoring difficult.

Lee posted a 6-over 78 to fall to 3-over and T58, Cameron Davis at the same score after an 8-over 80.

It was a particularly disappointing finish for Davis who endured a roller coaster second round to make the cut and backed up with a 69 that was bettered by only three players on Saturday.

Rod Pampling and Aaron Baddeley both missed the cut by one stroke after being even par through 36 holes, Matt Jones and Geoff Ogilvy were both well outside the number.

This is what we all came for! Jason Day is the outright leader of the Australian Open on 10-under.

He’ll tee off tomorrow with Victorian Lucas Herbert who is 9-under at 12:35pm local time.

Day had a steady round on course at The Australian with 13 consecutive pars on his card until finally a birdie putt dropped on the par-5 14^th.

Delighting the crowds, another quickly followed at the 15^th before he gave one back at the 17^th hole.

However, Day was able to end his third round on a high note with a birdie at the last to take positive vibes into the final round.

“It was tough to not force things. I know the crowds want to see a lot of birdies,” said Day.

“On a day like today, as a Professional golfer who has been around for a while, it is easy for me to see that I need to stay patient and not be aggressive.

“Coming back and making birdie at the last made things much better after 17, I am looking forward to tomorrow’s round, hopefully I can pull through for a win,” added Day, who was impressed by his young playing partner, Victorian Lucas Herbert.

“The way Lucas played today; he showed a lot of maturity within himself so that was good to see.

“He has a lot of potential, he has a great short game so when you can hit it long and have a good short game, there is always potential for a lot of success, he just needs to get a the reps under his belt, experience-wise with Tour golf.

“I’m not focusing on too many guys tomorrow but I need to keep an eye on Lucas.”

Starting the third round with a one shot lead, Herbert admitted sleep was difficult to come by last night as his tee time with Day loomed.

“I don’t know how I slept last night.  It was like trying to drink three cans of Red Bull and then go to bed; that’s what it felt like,” said Lucas.

“But after I made a couple of good pars there to start, I think that sort of kicked the nerves and I was good to go.”

However the 21-year-old held his nerve on a day when it was tested. Herbert had an even par round which featured three birdies, a bogey and a double bogey.

“I just wanted to give myself a chance going into tomorrow,” said Herbert who now trails Day by one shot but will play with him again in the final round.

“In that last group is obviously going to be a really big asset.  I’m going to be able to see what everyone’s doing and play from there and obviously try and get that shot back and maybe more than that to try and get in front.

“I was pretty happy to save a lot of shots where I did.”

Sitting two shots further back, on 7-under the card are Jonas Blixt who had a sizzling 66 in the third round and Matt Jones who fired 3-under 68.

A shot further back and rounding out the top-5 on 6-under the card is Queenslander Cameron Smith who had a third round 2-under 69.

The final round of the Emirates Australian Open will tee off at 7:10am with the final group of Day and Herbert on course at 12:35am.

Jason Day chats with the media after his round one 66 at the 2017 Emirates Australian Open

Highlights from the first day of the 2017 Emirates Australian Open Golf.