Jason Day carded an impressive two-under-par 69 on day one of the 2024 Olympics, and the Aussie didn’t anticipate the reception he would receive at Le Golf National.
Before Thursday’s first round, Day admitted he’s grown to love golf as an Olympic sport, and the Aussie is in with a shot of competing after a solid first 18.
Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama leads the way after a stunning round of eight under. World number one Scottie Scheffler is four shots back alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm. Xander Schauffele continued his remarkable recent form with a six-under 65 to sit just two back.
But, on a day of high-class golf, it was the emphatic support which caught Day’s attention.
Jason Day offers verdict on the Olympic crowd after round one
Talking during his post-round press conference, Day admitted that he wasn’t expecting the reception he received on the first tee.
“Not that. Definitely not that,” said the 2015 PGA Championship winner. “I heard the crowd when I was on the putting green, screaming over there, and you go down the stairs, going from 1 to 2 to 3, it was impressive.
He added: “It’s amazing how this week, this last week and a bit it’s impressive to see how much sport brings a lot of people together. There are all different types of countries out there cheering their favourite players.”
Rory McIlroy also stunned by what happened at Le Golf National
World number three Rory McIlroy was also taken aback by the support he felt during the first round at Le Golf National.
“Unbelievable,” said McIlroy. “It was surprising. With so many events going on spread all across the city, for people to venture out here and to watch us play, it was a really cool atmosphere to play in.
“I thought the weekend it might get a few more people. I thought the first couple of days might be a little bit quieter, but it was awesome.”
The Northern Irishman detailed his end-of-season plans after his first round in Paris, with the FedEx Cup playoffs and Race to Dubai now honing into view.
A gold in Paris would certainly put his dismal Open Championship performance to bed and send his critics packing for the time being.
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