Day in hunt despite motivation difficulties

After a successful PGA Tour career that saw him win and earn over $8 million, Glen Day finds himself playing the Web.com Tour full-time this season. Without good status in the big leagues, Day has been living the minor-league life in 2012 - battling through injuries in an effort to put together a decent season.

And it's been a challenge. Day had to miss over a month of action in May and June due to torn cartilage in his midsection, and is still looking for his first top-15 finish of the season.

With a good Sunday at Victoria National, Day can change that.

The veteran fired a 4-under 68 Saturday, moving up the leaderboard from T32 into a tie for 17th. Day birdie three of the four par-5's on his round, and closed with a birdie at the par-5 9th.

All in all, Day was pleased, especially considering the conditions.

"I'm happy," Day said. "It was so humid, it was brutal the first few holes. It's a hard golf course, you've got to hit good golf shots. I made a few putts, I played solid. 4-under's a solid round."

And he will admit that playing the minor-league circuit is not easy, especially for a veteran used to the PGA Tour's atmosphere and earning opportunities.

"It's hard to get excited about playing," Day said. "It's hard to get motivated. The money is actually way less. That's the hardest part for guys who have played on (the PGA) Tour for a long time. You've got to get motivated and committed to play for a year, and try to finish in the top 25. You can't play it just five or six times."

But still, Day is a professional golfer by trade, so he finds himself toiling in the minors - along with many others in the same situation. And he will still work hard to prepare for Sunday, hoping to finish well and post a strong number.

It's just the way the system works. The Web.com Tour rewards players who finish high each week, and Day knows that he needs a few great weeks this year if he wants to regain a PGA Tour card at the end of the year.

"You've got to forget about the money out here, and you've got to play for just positions," Day said. "And look at it as just points, and understand that if you win a tournament, you go way up on the money list out here. And it's very top-heavy, so you need to play good a couple or three weeks, and then you're back out there."

This week would be a good time to get one out of the way.