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By Adam Wallace
PGA TOUR Staff

On Sunday, Australian Jason Day, at age 19, seven months and 26 days, became the youngest winner of any tournament sanctioned by the PGA TOUR when he won the Nationwide Tour's Legend Financial Group Classic presented by Cynergies Solutions outside Cleveland, OH. His victory bettered by almost two years the previous Nationwide Tour mark set by James Oh in the 2003 Mark Christopher Charity Classic (21 years, five months, 27 days). The youngest winner of a PGA TOUR event was Johnny McDermott in the 1911 U.S. Open (19 years, ten months). The three tours under the umbrella of the PGA TOUR are the PGA TOUR, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour.

The Queensland native was tied for the lead with fellow Aussie Scott Gardiner starting the final round. Paired together, the duo went back and forth throughout the day. Gardiner birdied the 18th hole only to have Day sink a six-foot birdie putt of his own to claim the title. The win was particularly satisfying as twice during 2007 Day has been in the final group, only to come up short.

"It's a great achievement to be the Tour's youngest winner," said Day. "It was a goal of mine to win on the Nationwide Tour during my first season, so to accomplish that is nice. I had a lot of good players chasing me today which makes this even more special. There was good pressure, so to come away with the win does a lot for my confidence."

The win vaulted Day well into the Nationwide Tour's top 25 -- from No. 33 to No. 8. At the season's conclusion in early November, a record 25 leading money winners will be awarded 2008 PGA TOUR cards.

Day already had an impressive resume. As an amateur, he won the Australasian Amateur Stroke Play Championship, Australian Junior Championship, Queensland Medal Championship and the 2004 Junior World Golf Championship in San Diego, CA. Upon turning pro in 2006, he made seven starts on the PGA TOUR, making five cuts and recording two top-15 finishes, with a career-best 11th-place finish at the 2006 Reno-Tahoe Open.

The young Aussie maintains a home in Orlando. Apparently the Legend Financial Group Classic trophy will be a welcomed addition to his bachelor pad. "It's a beautiful home but there is nothing in it," the champion said. "I have no furniture. Not even a refrigerator. The only thing I have in it is a pump-up mattress."

Twenty different Australians have now won 30 Nationwide Tour events, the most by any country other than the United States.