Day ‘didn’t want to play’ after mum cancer scare
Jason Day
JEJU, South Korea: Major-winner Jason Day said Wednesday he was targeting getting back to world No. 1 after his mother’s cancer scare had left him not wanting “to be on the golf course”.
“My mum getting lung cancer golf course. “I knew that if she was going told reporters ahead of the US to die then I wanted to spend as PGA Tour’s CJ Cup, which begins much time as I could with her,” in South Korea on Thursday. he said, his voice cracking with
“I don’t have any grandparents. emotion. “Because I only get to I don’t have my dad. I don’t have see her once a year. anyone. If I lost my mum all I “Fortunately the surgery ( in would have would be my two March this year) went well and now sisters,” said the world number I’m able to focus back on golf.” nine on Jeju Island. After making his major champi
“So realizing how much she onship breakthrough by winning the 2015 US PGA Championship, meant a lot to me to be there for the 29-year-old went on a hot streak her. And I didn’t want to be on the to rise to the top of the world.
Day was still number one at the start of 2017 but with his last win coming a year and a half ago at the Players Championship his ranking has tumbled.
He missed the cut at the US Open the Masters and the British Open.
Day has shown glimpses of form US PGA Championship in August and recording two top 10s since.
“It was a little bit of a combination of things why I had this poor season. I was a little bit burnt out from 2016 and 2015,” said Day.
“I didn’t know how to handle being number one. Next time I get there again I will handle it a little bit differently,” said Day, who has not been outside the world’s top 10 since the end of the 2013 season.
“I still worked very hard to get through that burnt-out stage. And then my mum got lung cancer.
“Hopefully the distractions that I’ve had on the golf course and off the golf course have gone away and I can focus on climbing back to number one.”
Ten of the world’s top 30 will tee off on Jeju Island, south of the mainland, in the second event of a three-week swing as the US PGA Tour spreads its wings further into Asia.
World No.4 and US PGA Champion Justin Thomas is the topranked player at the par-72 Nine Bridges course for an event which - million purse.