Monday May 24, 2010, 01:03 AM

Australian Jason Day has survived a rough final round to win the Byron Nelson Championship, capturing the first US PGA Tour title of his career.

Day, 22, closed out a final-round two-over 72 with a bogey, but it was good enough for a 10-under total of 270 and a two-shot triumph over Blake Adams (72), Brian Gay (63) and Jeff Overton (71).

"It's been a hard, tough road," Day said. "I've had a lot of negative thoughts go through my head. ... I would always think of what jobs I could do if I didn't secure my card. ... I'm glad I just stuck through it."

As well as providing Day with his first PGA Tour victory, the tournament offered a glimpse of a likely star of the future in 16-year-old Jordan Spieth, who pulled within three shots of the lead on the final nine holes on Sunday before fading to finish tied for 16th.

He, too, carded a final-round 72 - his highest of the tournament - and finished six shots behind Day on four-under 276.

Not bad for a teen who last week was playing in the Texas state high school tournament.

"It was awesome ... the entire round, the entire week," said Spieth, the reigning US Junior Amateur champion. "Starting the week, I definitely would've taken a top-20, in a heartbeat.

"Obviously now, looking back, being a competitor, I look back at the mistakes I made that didn't give me an opportunity to win."

Day wasn't bothered with having to share the limelight with the teen.

"I was walking to the fourth hole and it looked like there was a thousand people following him," Day said. "It took a little bit of pressure off my shoulders knowing that the good majority of the fans that were following me were close friends and family."

Day knows what it's like to make a splash as a youngster. At 19 he won a tournament on the Nationwide development tour to become the youngest winner of an event held under the auspices of the PGA Tour.

But Day has been hampered by injuries - including health problems this season.

"I still have blocked ears and some gunk in the back of my throat and my nose," he said. "But it's dried up a lot more than it was."

He almost withdrew from the tournament before it began when some newly prescribed medications made him so queasy he wasn't sure he'd be able to play.

He stuck it out and was part of a seven-way tie atop the leaderboard after the first round.

He was a shot back after the second round, and had sole possession of the lead going into the final round.

He managed to stay on top despite six bogeys, including the one at 18 where he hit his approach shot in the water.

His final round wasn't pretty: six bogeys, including one on 18 after hitting his approach into the water.

Day's misstep wasn't too costly since playing partner Blake Adams also found the water with his approach and ended up with a double-bogey.

With that Adams dropped into the tie for second.

© 2010 AFP/sid