Jason Day excited to be playing on home soil
Jason Day at Royal Queensland today – image Australian Golf Media
Jason Day’s first appearance in an Australasian Tour event since 2017 was met with a warm reception by the media in his media appearance at Royal Queensland today.
To some extent, it was like the return of a long-lost son and the media present appeared to enjoy the interaction with one of Australia’s finest ever and most successful PGA Tour players.
Day left Queensland in 2006 to pursue his dream of becoming the world’s number one golfer and not only did he achieve that lofty goal, but in the 18 years since he has won a major title (2015 PGA Championship), won a total of 13 PGA Tour titles, including the PGA, the Players Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, been inside the top 5 on 11 occasions in major championships and accumulated more than US60 million in earnings.
Days’ is a phenomenal record and when considering so much of his career has been impacted by back injuries and other health issues, goodness only knows what he might have achieved as a fully fit golfer over those years.
All that does however seem to be in the past. The swing adjustments he has made with coach Chris Como to accommodate the back issues he has suffered are all in place according to Day when asked in today’s media appearance if he feels his fitness and health is as good as it has been for a long time.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely. I think so. Just to give you a little bit of background, when my back would go out, it would take me at the height of how my injuries – it would probably take about three weeks for my back to fully recover.
“And now if I have an episode, it takes half a day. It just goes to show that the stuff that I’m working on in the gym with my trainer, if I can back that up with not only having the mobility but also add the strength component into it, it’ll only help that.
“But I’ve also got to tread lightly too because I don’t want to bite off too much and then be a little bit too overconfident in some of the workouts or some of the swing changes that I’m doing because that potentially could flare things back up too. But overall, I feel I felt this is the healthiest I’ve felt in probably 12 years. So it’s been a long time.”
Day’s only win on Australian soil as a professional was when he won the 2013 World Cup of Golf Individual title but he is now keen to enjoy the prospect of being home amongst family and many of the friends he accumulated while living in southeast Queensland.
“I mean it’s interesting because it’s going to be a very short week for me here. Obviously I’ve got this week and then I’ll have a week off and play Tiger’s event in The Bahamas and then got Grant Thornton (Invitational) with Lydia (Ko).
“So it’s going to be very quick and I’ve been trying to catch up with as many people as I possibly can, and its a little bit emotional to see some of the faces. My sisters, I haven’t seen them since my mum passed away, so it’s been nice to be able to catch up with my sisters. Obviously I’ve got some friends, a lot of the friends that will be here this week, so really I’m looking forward to tomorrow and obviously the four days, we haven’t had many of the fans out yet, but I think once the fans come out it’s going to feel really special.
“I’ve taken just over three months off I think since my last tournament. So yeah, I’m very fresh coming into this week. I might be a little tournament-rusty, but I’ve done a lot of work leading into this event and then obviously I’ve tried to put in as much as possible over the last three days here.”
Day indicated that his player-coach relationship with Chris Como is on hold at present while acknowledging the great help Como provided in overcoming the impact his injury issues were having on his swing.
Personally this writer feels it is a tremendous decision for Day to make, as the opportunity for Day to not get too bogged down in technique as he has had a tendency to do and revert instead to his beautifully natural game might assist him to even greater heights. Time will tell if he can continue for long without feeling the need for swing guidance but it is an interesting decision.
“I mean I’m just kind of focused on playing. Yeah, I’m focusing on just trying to play a little bit more. I feel like the swing is kind of where I need to be. Health-wise, the body’s great. The swing needs some improvement in certain areas technically, but, for the most part, I want to try and just find some sort of consistency in all flights and spin controls.”
Day’s record in major championships is phenomenal and today he talked about his desire for an even greater record at that elite level.
“The goal for me has always been trying to win all four. I’ve finished second in all four and won a PGA championship. I know I definitely have the game to win majors. It’s just being able to be healthy first and foremost and then have the swing and the technique back up, the good hitting.
“I know that on my day I’m the best putter in the world and my short game is right there with it. I’ve just got to be able to match that with good hitting. And I think if I can do that, then I definitely have a shot at winning more majors than just my sole one.
“But yeah, I think it is interesting. I feel like I should have accomplished a little bit more just with my game and the way that it has, but the injuries kind of pushed that a little bit back, but I’ve got the experience and I feel like I’m right there. The game is really there. It’s close.”
Day plays with Cam Smith and Min Woo Lee in tomorrow’s opening round and just as Lee had sung the praises of Day on Tuesday, it was Day’s turn today to outline his thoughts on Lee.
“I haven’t played competitively with Camie for a long time and I’ve known Camie for a while now, actually a long time. And Min is, I just see so much potential in Min Woo. Obviously, the length definitely helps these days.
“The way that we play golf these days, it’s very offence-driven. When I first started professionally, there was still some type of defence in regards to how you tactically manage yourself around a golf course.
“It just feels like these days it’s just driver everywhere you can. And he definitely has the firepower for that. Obviously, Strokes Gained Off The Tee is off the charts. I think once he kind of manages certain shots within his iron play, like off-speed shots, being able to change your flight controls, trajectories and spin, that will open up another element to his game.”
As to who will be the crowd favourite amongst their group in the opening two rounds Day responded;
“I mean obviously I think Cammie’s a very big favourite being here. And he’s got a lot of fans here. Even though I’m from here, it’s kind of hard to get the fan base when I haven’t been here as much. So I’m looking forward to playing with Min, looking forward to playing with Cam.
“I’m really interested to see the crowds out there, seeing how many people will come out. Fingers crossed we have good weather. I know that rain is not ideal, but like I said early in the interview, we’re going to have really good weather on the weekend and that should be fun. That should bring out a lot of people.”
Day arrived on an early flight from the US early in the week and one of his immediate thoughts was for an Aussie meat pie.
“I had two meat pies. I got off the plane and got through customs. They lost my clubs, which ended up working out great because then I could just take my suitcase with me.
“But the first stop was at a bakery eating two meat pies and it was phenomenal. It was really good. It was early. It would’ve been like six, six in the morning. I got out of customs pretty quick and then I was straight to Forest Lake ( a former home), one of the bakeries there and I was just, yeah, it was good.”
While that and a self-confessed craving for Australian Kentucky Fried Chicken occupied his mind today, tomorrow it will be all on as he chases his first major Australian flagship title.
So what would it mean for him to do just that?
“Oh, it would mean a lot. I know that I’ve always wanted to win in Australia. Haven’t won as a professional and to be able to, and I’ve seen Jordan Spieth come down here, Rory come down here and obviously they’re playing the Australian Open and winning the Australian Open.
“They’ve accomplished that and it’d be nice for me to be able to do that, especially here in Brisbane where part of my life I grew up, and especially at a place like Royal Queensland, very iconic. I grew up playing some tournaments here, but it’s always nice to be able to win a tournament regardless of where you go, but to be able to win one on home soil and to know that you can come back and win one, that would be special.”
Jason Day has unfairly been on the receiving end of criticism for being unable, through health or family reasons, to support Australian golf to the extent he would have liked over the years but the reception he received from the media pack at Royal Queensland today suggests he has put that to bed.
A win this week would be welcomed by not only Day but by those who have, until now, been able to admire the exploits of one of Australia’s finest from afar only.
