Tearful Day pulls out of matchplay
A tearful Jason Day has withdrawn six holes into the World Golf Championships-Match Play in Texas, with the Australian citing illness to his mother.
The former world No 1 told reporters he felt unable to continue competing at the tournament and would leave to be with his mother before she undergoes surgery for lung cancer this week.
Defending champion Day stopped after a double bogey to fall three down against Pat Perez after six holes in Austin yesterday.
‘‘At the start of the year, she was diagnosed with 12 months to live,’’ Day said.
‘‘This is so hard. The diagnosis is much better being over here and she is going for surgery this Friday.
‘‘It’s really heard to even comprehend being on the golf course right now, because of what she has gone through.
‘‘I’m glad I brought her over here because of it,’’ he said.
The 29-year-old Day said his family came before golf.
‘‘It’s been really hard to play golf lately, this year. It’s been very emotional as you can tell.
‘‘I’ve already gone through it once with my Dad and I know how it feels. And it’s hard enough to see another one go through it as well.
‘‘Emotionally, it’s been weighing on me for a while and I know my Mum says not to let it get to me but it really has.’’
Moments earlier, two former world No 1s Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, suffered shock losses at the tournament.
McIlroy, who reached last year’s semifinal, fell 2 and 1 to Dane Soren Kjeldsen while Japan’s Hideto Tanihara, making his first appearance at the tournament, beat Spieth 4 and 2 at the Austin Country Club.
Kjeldsen, who does not have a top-25 in any of his seven starts this year, stuck his tee shot at the par-three 17th to three feet and made the birdie putt to close out world No 2 McIlroy, who held a 1-up lead with five to play.
Twice major champion Spieth never led against Tanihara, who has 13 career titles overseas. The American played his last nine holes in three over and hit only one green to end his chances.
The event comprises 16 fourplayer groups who play roundrobin matches until tomorrow with the winners of each group advancing to a single-elimination bracket at the weekend.