The great Sam Snead once said that the “mark of a great player is in his ability to come back. The great champions have all come back from defeat.” In Jason Day’s case, he had tasted defeat a little too often in his major championship career so far. Before Sunday’s final round, Day had six top 5s in majors, the first coming in 2011 when a young starlet capitalised on Rory McIlroy’s Masters demise to birdie the last two holes to tie the lead, only to see Charl Schwartzel pip him to the post with a remarkable four-birdie finish. The last of which was the last major played, where Day had almost tears in his eyes as he watched his putt to make the playoff for Open stop a foot short of the hole.

This time it would be tears of joy for Day as he could barely compose himself to finish out his win on the final green. It was an immensely satisfying win for the golfing community simply because it is human nature to want to see perseverance duly rewarded. In 2015, Day lead three of the four major championships after 54 holes and he has had more rounds in the 60s than other golfer in majors since 2013. So it’s fair to say that Day was due a major win. However, the golfing gods are unforgiving and nothing is guaranteed as messrs Garcia, Westwood and Johnson can attest to. Past failures sting but they are character-builders that make victory ever more special when it does happen.

It is a life-changing win for the Australian, who has not had an easy route to the top of the game. When you see the passion and emotion that poured out of Day at the climax of the event, you see a life of dedication rewarded. Day came from quite humble beginnings, he had no television show to display his talents at age two, he found his first golf club rather in a wastage dump. He suffered tragedy with the death of his father as a child. Day almost went off the rails without that fatherly presence but learned to refocus himself and an unquenchable desire to improve saw him practice before and after school every day to make the most of every little ounce of talent he has. This excellent article by Shane Ryan sums up what makes Day such a humble competitor but also such a ruthless one. Years and years of hard work and intense preparation yielded this flawless 67 under immense pressure and a major championship scoring record to boot.

A major win reaffirmed Day’s credentials among the top players of the new golden generation. This result means that six of golf’s last seven majors have been won by players in their twenties. Day was so much in control of his game this week that it is hard to envisage him not pulling off a repeat performance in the not-so-distant future. His driving was superlative all week in length and, on this occasion, in accuracy. His short game was in fine shape as ever and he proved once again that he owns one of the truest putting strokes on tour. It makes him a fearsome prospect to play against. Spieth remarked that Day had given him “a striping clinic.”

This is high praise considering it is coming from Jordan Spieth, who will stand in the way of anyone wanting to add to their major tally for the foreseeable future. There was no career-defining magic from Spieth this week but he still comfortably finished in second place and broke his own share of records in the process. The pick of which was a combined total of -54 for all majors of the year. He beats the record of Tiger Woods in his untouchable year of 2000. In total, he was only four strokes away from a single-year Grand Slam. At age 22. The reward for his efforts this year is the world number one ranking, which Spieth himself declared was the “ultimate consolation prize”.

While he will be disappointed to lose that spot as number one, Rory McIlroy showed an encouraging return to form this week after injury woes saw him miss two months of competitive action. While he showed a certain amount of tournament rustiness, four rounds under par suggested that he will not give up his position as the game’s most prominent golfer without a fight. With four majors already under his belt, McIlroy will not be overly concerned by a majorless year, it happened to Jack Nicklaus many times in his career for example, and he will turn his attention towards the Fed-Ex Cup playoffs. There he will do battle with Spieth, Day and others for the $10m jackpot prize. With McIlroy, Spieth and Day at the forefront, Fowler not far behind and a whole host of exceptional young players ready to pounce every week (far too numerous to mention), one thing becomes clear – professional golf is in rude health. A birdie-fest shootout at the sparkling Whistling Straits felt like a celebration of the next generation of golf this week. The exciting and battle-hardened Day is the embodiment of its undeniable potential.