Jason Day confirms return for tilt at Australian Open

Jason Day hopes he can bottle a similar magic to American superstar Jordan Spieth.

Jason Day will play in Australia for the first time since 2013.

Jason Day hopes he can bottle a similar magic to American superstar Jordan Spieth after confirming his first Australian return in four years.

World No 9 Day announced yesterday his one-tournament trip would see him tee it up at the Australian Open in Sydney on November 23, after last vying for the coveted Stonehaven Cup in 2013.

“I’m really excited to come back and play my national championship. It’s been a while since I’ve been home, but the Australian Open has always been a special tournament to me,” Day said.

The Ohio-based Queenslander welcomes a stern challenge at The Australian Golf Club from defending champion and world No 2 Spieth, who has used his two Australian Open ­titles as a springboard to lofty heights.

After a six-shot Open win at The Australian in 2014, Spieth won the Masters at Augusta and the US Open in a breakout 2015, before claiming this year’s British Open eight months after a sudden-death playoff win at Royal Sydney.

“Coming down to Australia has obviously been great for Jordan’s career; both times he’s won the Aussie Open he’s won (at least) a major the next year. I’m looking forward to coming up against him and a quality field of Aussie talent,” said Day.

“Jordan will put up a good fight on a course he’s played well on.”

The 29-year-old Day’s last trip to Australia was a successful one — he won the 2013 World Cup individual title and teams category alongside Adam Scott at Royal Melbourne.

Day also tied sixth behind 2013 Australian Open winner Rory McIlroy.

But with two back injuries and the birth of his second child preventing additional homecoming trips, he has gone on to win his first major at the 2015 US PGA Championship and enjoy 51 weeks as the world’s No 1 player.

Day says he was lured by a return to The Australian, where he finished as the low amateur (tied 22nd) at the 2004 Open.

“The Stonehaven Cup would be a tremendous trophy to have my name on. I played well in 2013 but I’d love to win it this time round and on an iconic course like the The Australian Golf Club would mean a lot,” said Day.

“The Sydney crowds have always been really supportive of me. It’s great they’re going to see Jordan defend his title.”

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods has made progress towards a return to competitive golf after he was cleared to resume short-game practice.

The former world No 1 has not played since January, when he missed the cut in the Farmers Insurance Open at four-over-par after rounds of 76 and 72.

“Dr gave me the ok to start pitching,” Woods tweeted yesterday.

Woods has won 14 majors, the second-highest total of all time behind Jack Nicklaus on 18, but has failed to add to that tally since the 2008 US Open.

His most recent win came at the 2013 Bridgestone Invitational, since when he has been plagued by injuries and has had four operations on his back. Having spent 683 weeks as world No 1 in his career, Woods’s current ranking is 1121.

In the LPGA, South Korea’s In Gee Chun shot a six-under 66 on Thursday in the Cambia Portland Classic to take a one-stroke lead over two-time defending champion Brooke Henderson and five others, as the Australians in the field struggled.

The sixth-ranked Chun had seven birdies and a bogey at tree-lined Columbia Edgewater.

Henderson had six birdies and a bogey to match Cheyenne Woods, Cindy LaCrosse, Moriya Jutanugarn, Nicole Broch Larsen and Nasa Hataoka at 67.

The best-placed Australian is Sarah Jane Smith, who shares 93rd place after a 73.

Agencies