The TOUR Championship: Power Ranking the top ten at East Lake

If you don’t know just how important the player-caddie relationship can be on the PGA TOUR, look no further than Jason Day. For some players, caddies come and go, but Day’s relationship with Colin Swatton was – and is – something special. He’s been Day’s coach since he was 12, the only caddie he’s ever worked with, and a strong male presence in Day’s life since the passing of his own father.

That made it nearly impossible for Day to make the call that he needed someone else on the bag, but after a tough year both personally and professionally, he did what needed to be done. Longtime friend Luke Reardon has taken Swatton’s spot, and he’ll look to bring his former roommate back to the top of the golf world.

Finally healthy, Day has already started along that path. The 29-year-old has just five top-ten finishes this season, but three of them have come in his last four starts. Conveniently, they’re also three of the biggest tournaments of the year, including the PGA Championship and two FedEx Cup Playoff events. Once a long shot to make the season finale, Day is now streaking toward the top.

Will it be enough? This is a wildly strong field, and he’ll need a ton of help to win the FedEx Cup itself. Still, as a single event with just 30 players and no cut, I’m liking what I’ve been seeing from Day in recent weeks. If he can continue that momentum, a solid top-ten finish, with a chance to contend on Sunday, won’t surprise me in the least.