Australian golf champion Jason Day has opened up on the “darkish instances” in his profession in a candid, unique interview on Fox Sports activities’ PGA Championship Preview present, revealing there have been instances thought of hanging up the golf equipment as a consequence of harm.
The 36-year-old Queenslander, who gained the PGA Championship in 2015, was pressured to alter his golf swing after battling persistent again issues that pressured him to withdraw from a number of tournaments.
Throughout the 2019 season, he was receiving cortisone injections mid-round to deal with the ache, ending fifth at that yr’s Masters after receiving on-course medical consideration.
“It received to some extent the place I couldn’t stand in place for greater than quarter-hour,” Day advised mentioned within the interview, airing in full on Fox Sports activities and Kayo Sports activities on Monday night time.
“I used to be in ache lots. Nothing was actually working.”
Day quickly realised he was enjoying golf “for all of the mistaken causes”, competing in tournaments to fulfil contractual obligations quite than striving for wins.
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“It felt like a chore,” Day continued.
“It didn’t really feel pleasant to me to play golf, not solely injured, however to play golf for the mistaken causes.
“There was no love and keenness … (I used to be considering), ‘Am I lastly getting near racking up the golf equipment?’
“If I didn’t make the adjustments body-wise and swing-wise, I believe there could be potential for me not enjoying once more.
“Whenever you’re in darkish instances in golf, you may get very unfavourable and have lots of unfavourable self-talk. It could actually get fairly darkish.
“Throughout these instances of being harm and injured, it received fairly darkish and I wasn’t feeling nice, not solely mentally and however bodily, and it was arduous for me to push by.”
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In direction of the tip of the 2020 season, Day realised he wanted to drastically overhaul his recreation, in any other case his profession would quickly be over.
“I wanted to make the change fairly fast, with reference to not simply the physique stuff, but additionally the swing as effectively to get me to enjoying the place I really feel like I ought to,” Day defined.
“It has been a course of.
“It’s been 5 years of working arduous on my physique to get it to the purpose the place I get up each day and don’t really feel ache in my physique, which has been loopy.”
Day, together with his new coach, new motion, and new set of sticks, is a very reimagined golfer, successful final yr’s Byron Nelson in Texas for his first PGA triumph in over 5 years.
“I’m completely satisfied to say that I’m on the opposite aspect now,” Day mentioned.
“I’ve simply received to tidy some issues up on the golf course to seek out that success and discover that confidence once more.”
WATCH JASON DAY’S FULL INTERVIEW ON THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW SHOW TONIGHT (MONDAY NIGHT)
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