SPRINGFIELD, N.J. – One-time major winner Jason Day finished as a major runner-up for the fourth time with Sunday's second-place finish to Jimmy Walker at the 98th PGA Championship.

Day did so despite hitting a thunderous 2-iron that reached the par-5 18th green in two shots, in the pairing just ahead of Walker's final group of the day.

The shot came on a day when all 86 golfers were allowed to lift, clean and place their ball if they had hit it into the fairway, to counter a soft and muddy course soaked by more than 3 inches of rain in recent days.

Hearing a roar ahead of him when Day's blast reached the green in two, Walker calmly rolled in a birdie putt on No. 17 to stretch his lead to three strokes. But that advantage lasted mere moments, because Day rolled in his eagle putt to pull within a shot.

Playing partner Emiliano Grillo approached Day after he hit that 2-iron and said something.

"He came up to me and said the ball was scared of me when I hit it," Day said. "The 2-iron into the green was probably one of the best 2-irons I've ever hit into a par-5, especially given the circumstances."

Day's eagle moved him to 13 under par for the tournament, one shot behind Walker even though Day had stepped onto the Baltusrol course Wednesday for the first time and played only one abbreviated practice round.

His eagle forced Walker to make par to win — and he did, playing it safe off the tee at No. 18 and then boldly going for the green with a 3-wood that went right into deep greenside rough. Walker chipped well over a bunker and safely past the pin, then two-putted from 33 feet away.

"It was going to be very difficult for him to bogey from there," Day said. "I mean, stranger things have happened. … He's not new to winning. He knows how to do it, been out here a long time. I was just hoping maybe he'd hit in the bunker or something, just to give myself a chance. But he handled himself good."