(CNN)Golf
has a new world number one as Jason Day took over at the top from Rory
McIlroy with a six-shot victory at the BMW Championship.
The
27-year-old Australian kept his nerve on the final day to card a 69 to
finish on 22-under 262 at Conway Farms GC in Illinois with Daniel Berger
in second place.
McIlroy, who was
sidelined by an ankle injury earlier this season, battled to a 70 to
finish tied for fourth, but was never in a position to deny Day his new
status.
An Emotional Day!
It
is his fifth victory of the PGA Tour season and his fourth in his last
six tournaments. including the the final major of the season, the PGA
Championship.
Day's sensational run of
form has seen him move clear of McIlroy and American Jordan Spieth, who
won the opening two majors of the season and challenged strongly in the
other two.
He
had started the fourth round with a six-shot advantage, but was unable
to pull further clear after a succession of regulation pars.
It
was broken with a birdie on the eighth, but he dropped a shot
immediately at the next. Birdies on the 16th and 18th sealed his
victory after Berger got to within four shots.
It has been a remarkable year for Day, who had threatened for some time to make a major breakthrough.
He
led the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay only to suffer a recurrence of a
vertigo problem, bravely battling on to finish behind Spieth.
But
stunning play in the latter part of the season, including a record
20-under par tally in winning the PGA title at Whistling Straits has
seen him amply rewarded.
Day is the
19th player to earn the top spot since the rankings were introduced and
the third Australian after Greg Norman and Adam Scott.
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