Day’s thoughts are clearly elsewhere

– Australia’s Jason Day completed a long weekend of practice at Augusta National on Sunday, hopeful his mother’s condition in her cancer fight will allow him to play in the Masters.

The world No 3 toured the famous layout for the third consecutive day ahead of yesterday’s first official practice session for what he hopes will be his seventh Masters start come Thursday.

Day withdrew during the first round of the World Golf Championships Match Play event two weeks ago in Austin, Texas, and put his golf on hold to be with his mother Dening after her lung cancer surgery on March 24.

She was treated at Ohio State University’s cancer hospital and is resting in Columbus, where Day and his family live.

“She’s in good hands,” Day said in comments to the Masters website, saying that gave him the peace of mind and confidence to return to golfing.

While his workouts among the Georgia pine trees are a good

Augusta

sign he will play this week in the year’s first Major championship, he said that nothing is certain given his mother undergoing chemotherapy treatments.

“Obviously we still have to wait and see, but we feel much better about things,” Day said.

Day, 29, said in Texas that he could not focus on defending his title over concerns about his mother, who is being looked after by his wife Ellie and children Dash and Lucy as well as other family and friends.