Last year, when Jason Day won the WGC-Accenture Match Play, there was a collective exhale from golf fans. Day had finally won that illusive second tournament four years after winning his first. It was a big deal, because Day had been so close, not only in regular tournaments, but in majors in that four year stretch. He had finished in the top 10 six times in the biggest tournaments between 2010 and 2014. It was an impressive record, but his inability to close out tournaments made some wonder if he would ever win again.

Even last year, following his second victory on Tour, Day struggled with injuries and did not have a very good season. Perhaps this was going to be Day's legacy - a player who plays well, perhaps wins a few times, but will never be that elite player due to injuries or his Sunday woes. 

What a difference a year makes.

Jason Day has now won four times this season, and all four of them mean something different in terms of the perception the world will have on him. His win at the Farmers Insurance Open back in Febuary meant that Day wouldn't have to wait another four years to win again, and proved he was becoming more consistent as a closer. His win in Canada, after coming close to winning the Open Championship proved that he was able to bounce back quickly from disappointment. His win at the PGA Championship proved that he could get the monkey off his back and win a major after years of close calls.

And his six shot victory at The Barclays on Sunday? It proved that Day is one of the best in the world.

They key for Day is to not be satisified with success, and instead, always build towards a goal. When Day first came on to the PGA Tour, he claimed that his ultimate goal was to become the number one player in the world. That goal seemed lofty back in 2009. Now? He can accomplish that goal by the end of the year.

“I’m hoping this is kind of a springboard for me to really do some fantastic, great things in the future." Day said after his victory at the PGA Championship. "As long as I am healthy, I feel like I’m going to be there a long time. I still want to accomplish that number one goal of mine, which is to be the best player in the world. I’m still motivated and still very hungry for that, even after this win. Stuff like this is just the icing on the top of the cake, when you work so hard and being able to achieve something like this.”

The rest of Day's peers are starting to sense that something special is happening, as well. The man who finished a distant runner up to Day on Sunday, Henrik Stenson said he felt like he was on an island on Sunday.

"I think there was only one player out there today," Stenson said. "I mean, Jason is full of confidence, just heating it up, making birdies. It would have taken something really special to challenge him today the way he's playing at the moment."

Those who are unfamiliar with golf have been waiting for the second coming of Tiger Woods. They thought it happened at the end of last year when Rory McIlroy won three tournaments in a row, including two majors. They then thought it happened when Jordan Spieth won both the Masters and US Open this season. Now, Jason Day is in the middle of a dominate stretch, winning three tournaments in four starts and being a combined 74 under par in that stretch. What these seasons has taught us, however, is a reality the world must face.

There will be no "next Tiger Woods". The era of one player dominating the PGA Tour is over. Instead, you have the birth of one of the greatest rivalries we have ever seen in the game, with McIlroy, Spieth, and Day all polished, poised, and ready to win golf tournaments over the next two decades. Combine that with players, such as Patrick Reed and Hideki Matsuyama who are ready to win and join that elite group of golfers, and you have the healthiest, deepest Tour we have ever seen.

The difference between some of these other players and Day? He has a history of disappointment behind him that fuels him.

"You have to fail," he explained. "You fail and you learn. The moment that you start thinking about, 'I can't close, I can't close,' that's when you start not believing in yourself. That's the worst thing you can possibly do."

Right now, Day isn't failing, and he gets the opportunity to achieve his goal next week. While other players can't wait for the season to end, Day would likely love nothing more then for 2015 to go on forever.