Jason Day is convinced that nobody had a luckier first-day escape on day one at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship than he did.
The 24-year-old Australian eventually, beat Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bello at the 19th hole, but not before having to fight his way back from being 3-down with just three holes to play withLeft handed TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC Irons
It helped, of course, that Cabrera-Bello bogeyed the 16th and 17th which he was able to win with pars but the World No 7s birdie at 18 was a gem
And there was nothing luckier, either, than his winning birdie at the 19th where he hit his approach to within three feet of the pin to finish in style and his confidence high again.
But, of course, he would not have even got that far had his Spanish opponent not lost his Left handed TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC Irons at the wrong time.
"I felt like I won the tournament, but I just got through the first round," a relieved Day told the media after his late heroics
"Man, it was just so up-and-down. I did kind of scrape through, but I'm glad I stuck in there and didn't give up.
"I've been working on a lot of things mentally, with my new mental coach ... I felt like I was very committed to each shot, which was nice. And I didn't want to give up at all."
Day, who reached the third round last year in his first stab at the Arizona desert event, had a slow and shaky start against Cabrera-Bello. He double-bogeying the third and bogeyed the fifth.
"I gave him a few shots withLeft handed TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC Irons
on the first nine," the Australian admitted. "He was three up pretty quick on me. I just kept on hanging around, kept on hanging around.
"I wasn't hitting the greatest iron shots into the green but I was driving it really nicely today. He just missed a couple of six-footers on 16 and 17 and I had a nice shot into 18.
"And on the 19th hole, I feel like I nearly holed it, I don't know how close it came," Day said of his superb approach shot. "But I hit a great shot."
Day, who saw fellow Australian Adam Scott beaten 1-up by England's Robert Rock, will now face another Australian, John Senden. in Thursday's second round.
"I think the last time I played Left handed TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC Irons with John was at the Tour Championship last year," he said. "He's a very good ball striker and he can putt, when he's on. It's going to be a very tough match indeed."