Wife helps Day to man up
Former world No 1 required a good talking to after his disappointing Friday, reports Bernie McGuire at Augusta
ANIGHT after being told to “man up” by his wife, the last thing Jason Day wanted was to lose to an amateur, albeit a multiple winning Augusta National Club champion, on day three of the Masters.
Day was in no mood for a long fireside chat after bogeying the last hole late on Friday to find himself last in the field among those who made the half-way cut. It meant a first out tee-time at 10.20am yesterday for the former world No 1.
Ellie Day, the Australian’s wife of some eight years, said it was not the most pleasant of rides home in the Day family luxury motor-home.
“I just said to Jason to get it out of his system and if you have to, go to the bedroom and break something,” she said. “He was clearly upset but after a short while he was OK and as you could see today, he got over yesterday pretty quickly.”
It had been Day’s poorest opening 36-hole effort since making his Masters debut six years earlier.
“Ellie was kind of ready to slap me in the face because I was so negative with myself,” he said. “And she was trying to pick me up and give me a good boost. Which she did. Which was a good thing. It’s good to have a good wife when you have something like that happen. But, yeah, she’s like, you better get it out now before the kids get back.
“There were a few words in the bus where it got a little loud. It’s better than coming over here and giving a mouthful to you guys.”
Indeed, Day began the day in 53rd place, but posted a three-under-par 69 to get back to three over par in the year’s first Major.
As is customary, Masters officials paired Day with an Augusta National club member and it was Jeff Knox, who at the age of 56, holds the course record off the member tees, a 61 in 2003.
Knox, also a three-time winner of the Georgia Mid-Amateur, has competed in the Masters many times but none more notable than in 2014 when he was paired with Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman and then world No 1 shot a 71 on the Saturday, only to lose to Knox by a stroke.
It prompted McIlroy to remark: “He is the best I have ever seen on Augusta’s greens.”
Little wonder, then, that Day was playing not only for a higher position on the leaderboard but also for pride.
Dressed in an eye-catching shirt, he went out to nearly ace the par-3 sixth hole and cap his round with four birdies in succession from the 12th hole.
And while Knox got inside the Australian with his approach shot at the last, Day was delighted with his first sub-70 round after earlier scores of 74 and 76.
His first remarks after his round was to apologise for not stopping to speak with the media after Friday’s disappointment before going on to express his delight on day three.
“I feel like I can actually play golf again, which is great, when I play like that,” he said, smiling. “But then I just didn’t want Jeff to beat me, right. I heard that he beat Rory. He said he was nervous on the first tee and I’m kind of nervous because I don’t want to let my marker beat me.
“So, it was neck and neck. I bogeyed the second hole and he parred it and he had a one-up lead there for a bit, so I’m glad I ended up carrying out the back side.
“But then Jeff didn’t keep a score as he started picking up early on. I’m just like, you can do whatever you need to.”
Day is often criticised for his slow play and it certainly was not the fastest two ball ever, the duo taking three hours and 50 minutes, rather longer than the last occasion Day recalled he was first out on his lonesome in a tournament.
“I had the fastest round at the John Deere Classic of an hour and 55,” he said smiling.
“They gave me a plaque, a picture saying, ‘ Nothing runs like a Day’, so it was good. I shot 72. I was pretty proud.”
Ellie was kind of ready to slap me in the face because I was so negative with myself. She was trying to give me a boost. Which she did