Jason Day desperate to win Australian Open

JASON Day watched the final day of the Australian Open through gritted teeth. He was happy for Jordan Spieth but he was filthy it wasn’t him.

Jason Day and Tiger Woods played together in the the first round of the Hero World Challenge at the Isleworth Golf & Country Club yesterday.

JASON Day watched the final day of the Australian Open through gritted teeth. On one hand, he was happy for Jordan Spieth. On the other, he was filthy it wasn't him.

“I want to do it so bad,” Day says.

“I am so happy for Jordan but it kind of cut me up a bit that he won one. It always cuts me up watching the guys win down there.

“I want to be down there playing and competing and winning. I am happy for Jordan to win. He has played well over the past year and for him to be able to win down there is special for him.

“The names that are on the trophy — amazing, amazing names. I was disappointed I couldn’t go back. I want to be down there playing in front of the home crowd because it’s fun to go home and I miss Australia.”

Day says all this as he sits with his feet up in a golf cart in the lead-up to the Hero World Challenge, being played this week at the Isleworth Golf and Country Club in Florida.

When Day decided he would play the event, hosted by Tiger Woods, there were inevitable questions over his commitment to the Australian Tour. If he could play this week, why not last? As he tells it, the plane flight to Sydney could have had ramifications far beyond this week or next.

“The thing is, I just have to make sure I take the right steps,” Day says. “If I didn’t do what I did I may have cut my career in half. What about if I did something really bad to my back? Sitting down is the worst for me.

“It’s really bad for me. Any time I am sitting down my back just kills me. I had to do it. At least I will be able to come back and play a lot more Australian Opens and Masters.

“That’s just how it is. People don’t know the full story and they base it on emotion. I want to play this game until a minimum of 40 years old. Whatever I get after that is a bonus. There are 13-plus years of going down to Australia and playing, and possible chances.”

Woods’ tournament represents Day’s first outing since he finished in a share of fourth at the Tour Championship in September. In the interim, he has spent countless hours working to build up his core strength and ease the burden on his back. He has altered his diet, added lean muscle and stripped off body fat.

“When you get injured when you’re younger, you think ‘I will bounce back’,” Day said.

“Now it takes longer for me to bounce back from things. I am 27 but I really feel it. I am sure there are certain parts in my body that are a lot older than what I am because of all the twisting and torque.

“I have been working really, really hard to strengthen that. The core has got a lot stronger. Other than that everything is feeling great.”

His desire to get physically stronger is motivated in part by what lies ahead. Over the next two years, aside from the majors, he has the opportunity to play in a Presidents Cup and represent Australia at the 2016 Olympics.

“One of the goals for next year is to make sure I secure a spot on the Presidents Cup team,” Day says.

“That will only happen if I keep playing good golf. Hopefully the body will be fit and I will be able to play in Asia and then head down to Australia.”

As for the Olympics, Day says: “Who wouldn't want to win a gold medal. To be honest, we have never really thought about it.

“Golf was never in the Olympics. Everyone watches the Olympics. That’s stuff that sticks with you. I hope I have the opportunity to represent the country.

“I know it’s going to be hard with the schedule. But if I get picked, I am going. I know they’re trying to work on the schedule but you have to go, right?

“I want to go. It would be great to go down there.”

Day opened the Hero World Challenge with a solid one-under-par 71. Could have been better, could have been worse. His world ranking is eight, down from the career-high four he reached earlier in the year. He, like everyone else, is chasing Rory McIlroy.

“Rory is the man right now,” Day says.

“He is No. 1 and he deserves it because he has played so well. Rory is the guy we have to catch. Just to be able to say that you were the best player in the world at one time, would be the best feeling ever.

“To be able to say that is what motivates me to work hard. I got down to four, which means there were only three guys (better than me), which is crazy when you think about it.

“There are seven guys in front of me (now). That means I just need to do the work and want it more than those other seven guys.”

As for an assessment of his career thus far, Day is as candid as ever.

“I feel like I should have won a few more, a few big tournaments,” he said. “I think I have underachieved. I have been very consistent. I was just looking at how many weeks I have spent in the top 10 — I think it’s 80-something weeks.

“The way I grade a successful career is not so much by how many tournament wins or how many majors, but by how much effort you put into it.

“If you have put in 100 per cent and done the work, however many wins you have is all you can do because you have put in 100 per cent.

“But if you have put in 50 per cent and you really didn’t give it a shot, then there is that bit of doubt there. So I measure a successful career by the effort you put in and the attitude you have.

“I obviously want to win a lot more. That is something I want to do. It excites me when I think about it.”