Jason Day becomes PGA Tour champion after being ‘close to call quits’
Jason Day ended a five-year championship drought on Sunday as he came out victorious on Mothers Day.
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Jason Day after winning the AT&T Byron Nelson. (Credit: Sky Sports)
The long drought for golfer Jason Day finally came to an end on Sunday. His victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson tournament saw him win his first major championship in almost five years. This incident took place when the world was celebrating Mother’s Day. He took home the $2.6 million prize money after a tough battle on the golf course.
To start the day, he went head-to-head with World No 1 Scottie Scheffler. After a tight battle, he went clear of his counterpart by putting away a birdie on the 12th. He would later go on to birdie in the 14th and 15th as well to open up some gap between them. At the final hole, Day produced a beautiful chip and out away his birdie to finish 23 under par.
This victory saw Jason Day win his first championship after 1,835 days. This was the 13th win at the PGA for the 35-year-old Australian. It was an emotional moment for him, not just because he won a major title after five years. His victory came on the day of Mother’s Day, nearly a year after he lost his mother due to complications of cancer.
Jason Day reveals he was close to leaving golf behind
It had been a few tough years for Jason Day. There comes a time in a person’s career when nothing goes right for them. After numerous failures, many stop the chase and don’t battle back anymore. It was a similar story for Day, who was almost ready to call time on his professional golfing career.
“To be honest, I was very close to calling it quits. I never told my wife that, but i was okay with it, just because it was a very stressful part of my life. My thought process was to go, OK, what’s my contract minimum that i have to play? It’s 20 events,” Day spoke after his win and expressed how he almost decided to give up.
Day was said to be in his prime in 2015. In that year, he recorded five wins at the PGA Championship. For this outstanding run, Day saw himself reach the top of the pinnacle and be the Number 1 in world rankings. It was in June that year when things started to go down for him. Injuries became a constant part of his career.
He was diagnosed with benign positional vertigo and even collapsed at the US Open. For the next few years, he continued to struggle with back injuries. He also had to reinvent his swing technique. This battle with injuries and his mother’s passing left him in an emotional state, but Day was able to conquer the hard battles. He proved again that when life gets tough, one must continue to fight, and doing so will surely result in positive results.
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Vinay Dave
(1817 Articles Published)