A personal journal is supposed to keep Jason Day's mind on the job.

At the end of each day, the 22-year-old Australian enters his thoughts on his computer, and reads those findings on the way to the course on play-days.

Just to remind himself how he handled the big, and bad, moments.

This was to be Jason's day at the TPC Boston, but the journal didn't come through - as is its want in the final round.

The journal works fine for 54 holes, but stumbles when it counts.

But that's been the story of Jason's life - he did it really tough as a kid.

The family was so poor in Beaudesert, some 64 kms south of Brisbane, he dressed himself by filling St Vincent de Paul bags with clothes.

He did it even tougher when his father Alvin died of stomach cancer - Jason was 12.

He went off the rails, Jason was heading for skid-row at breakneck speed.

Until his Filipino mother Dening stepped in.

Working long hours as a shipping clerk, Dening sent Jason to board at the Kooralbyn International School, just 20 kms south-west of Beaudesert.

It was Mum's master-stroke, that's where Jason met Col Swatton, who turned the kid's life around.

They clicked immediately, Swatton became a father-figure, golf coach, caddy, and eventually best man at Jason' wedding to childhood sweetheart - Ellie.

It's one of the great sporting stories of this century.

Having shown plenty of promise as a youngster, Day proved the point when he became the youngest golfer in US history to win a tournament on a sanctioned tour when he took out the Legend Financial Group Classic, on the Nationwide tour.

Day was 19 years, 7 months, and 26 days.

"I'm sure I can take down Tiger Woods, my goal is to be the number one golfer in the world," was Day's comment at the presentation.

Bad call I thought at the time, I wish he hadn't said that - weeks later Day felt the repercussions when the media kept reminding him of his folly, as his eye-catching performances dried up.

This year, Day's first 12 tournaments resulted in five missed cuts, and a withdrawal from the Honda Classic, suffering on-going sinus problems.

His best finish in the other six starts was a tie for 22nd, nothing to write home about.

Until the Byron Nelson last May, when the journal did kick in.

With rounds of 65 65 67 72, Day won his first USPGA title at 22 years, 6 months, and 11 days - the youngest Australian to achieve the feat.

But it was the $1.4 million cheque that changed the lives of Jason, Ellie, and Swatton - a solid three-strong team.

The cents became dollars.

With the life-long financial worries off his shoulders, Day has shown the consistency so lacking in Australian golfers, but not for the whole journey.

In his last two starts, Day:

* He finished 10th at the USPGA championship with 69 72 66 74 - 7 under - four shots adrift of Martin Kaymer.

* And fifth at the Barclays with 67 67 70 71 - 9 under - just three shy of Matt Kuchar.

Today Day went into the final round at the TPC Boston with a one-shot lead - but he had no answer to Charley Hoffman's 11 birdies, and two bogeys - the American's 62 stitched up Day, Geoff Ogilvy, and Luke Donald, by five shots.

So Day must get that journal to go the extra day, leading on Saturday night counts for nothing.

Even though 10th, fifth, and second, isn't bad in three successive tournaments - but not when Jason Day had genuine chances to win all three.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"I didn't know how many birdies I had, the ball just kept falling into the hole, it was a fun day," Charley Hoffman.