The 27-year-old carded a closing round 67 to finish three shots clear of the United States’ Jordan Spieth and set a new major championship record.

Holding a two-shot lead going into the final round, Day made four birdies in the first seven holes before bogeying the eighth.

Further birdies at 11 and 14 followed and despite dropping a shot at the par-four 15th, the Queenslander responded with another birdie and then went on to par the notoriously difficult last two holes.

Day, who had previously recorded nine top-10 finishes in the majors, six of them in the top four, was unable to hold back the tears even before tapping in at the 18th.

"I didn't expect I was going to cry," said Day, whose final score broke American Tiger Woods’s major record of 19 under at The Open in 2000.

"A lot of emotion has come out just because I've been close so many times and fallen short.

"To be able to play the way I did today in tough conditions with Jordan in the group - he was the favourite - to be able to play the way I did was amazing.

"Overall I'm just really pleased with how I played.

"I couldn't ask for anything better."

A runners-up finish for Masters and US Open champion Spieth saw him secure the world number one spot, taking over from Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who had reigned supreme for just over a year.

Defending champion McIlroy, playing in his first event since the US Open after suffering ankle ligament damage, had to settle for 17th place on nine under following a final round 69.

South Africa’s Branden Grace completed the top three on 15 under, while England’s Justin Rose finished a further shot back in fourth with his challenge fading on the 13th where he double bogeyed.  

Grace found himself within one shot of Day after birdying the seventh, but that was as close as anyone got to the eventual winner.


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