There was one Australian icon that Jason Day was craving greater than something when he touched down on residence soil for the primary time since 2017.
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Again in his residence state of Queensland for the Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane beginning Thursday, Day wasted no time upon arrival.
“I obtained off the airplane, went by way of customs – they misplaced my golf equipment – and went straight to the bakery and obtained two meat pies,” Day mentioned with fun on Wednesday.
Day was a part of a panel dialogue alongside Min Woo Lee and Cameron Smith which was led by Open champion and famend golf broadcaster Ian Baker-Finch on the Greg Norman Medal on Tuesday evening.
The 37-year-old had the room within the palm of his palms as he was in a reflective temper with meat pies not being the one factor that has evoked recollections of his humble beginnings within the rural city of Beaudesert – inland from the Gold Coast.
Day dashed out onto Royal Queensland on Monday morning for a observe spherical and it was the primary time he stepped onto the course since he represented his state within the Australian interstate collection as a 16-year-old.
Being amongst so many up-and-coming Australian golfers took Day’s thoughts again to his early days properly earlier than he was world primary or a significant champion.
He recalled with Lee, Smith and Baker-Finch that he obtained his first golf membership as a three-year-old when his father introduced it residence from the garbage tip.
“We might at all times go right down to the garbage tip with my dad to seek out toys,” Day recalled.
“I nonetheless keep in mind the scent of the place. I don’t advocate it.”
As a six-year-old he joined Beaudesert Golf Membership and that was the place he laid his foundations earlier than the household moved to Rockhampton two years later.
Day started enjoying in native tournaments round central Queensland, and one course has caught in his thoughts.
“I grew up enjoying on sand greens,” he mentioned.
“There was a golf course we performed a match at that had 5 sand greens to start out the 9 after which 4 grass greens.
“I let you know what once you went from the sand to grass, it felt like Augusta. It was unbelievable.”
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These recollections are actually a world away from the life he has constructed for himself, his spouse Ellie and their 5 youngsters in Ohio.
Having an enormous household comes with its challenges and for Day, it has meant not returning residence as a lot as he wish to.
His damage battles have additionally usually made journeys for the Australian PGA and Australian Open unfeasible, however now the timing appears proper.
Talking at Royal Queensland on Wednesday, he expressed his pleasure at coming residence to see he his sisters for his or her time since their mom’s passing in 2022, whereas on the golf course, Day is within the midst of a profession resurgence with years of labor to transform his swing to alleviate strain from his troublesome again lastly paying off.
He soared contained in the world prime 20 earlier this 12 months – his rating now sits at thirty first – after it had been as excessive as one hundred and seventy fifth two years in the past.
A win on the PGA Tour’s AT&T Byron Nelson final 12 months in addition to a runner-up end at The Open got here as reward for effort, whereas this 12 months has included 5 prime ten finishes, however his focus has been reconnecting with Australia.
After bypassing the chance in 2016 on account of considerations in regards to the Zika virus, Day donned the inexperienced and gold at an Olympic Video games for the primary time when he and Lee shaped the Australian males’s workforce in Paris.
He hailed the expertise – the place he completed tied ninth – as probably the greatest of his profession, and his ties to his residence nation develop deeper this week as he as soon as once more struts his stuff in entrance of residence followers.
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The opposite big-name Australians who’re enjoying in Brisbane this week have mentioned all of it about how a lot it means to have Day again residence.
Lee, who Day has develop into extremely near since enjoying within the Olympics and the Presidents Cup collectively, was thrilled as being solely 26 years of age, he is aware of the impression it should have on the youthful gamers on the Australian tour who’ve watched Day from their couches for so long as they’ll keep in mind.
“I’m certain he’s very excited to play right here,” Lee mentioned. “His recreation’s at a degree the place he wished to be, particularly after damage, and it’s very cool to see and good to see.
“Fairly happy with the way in which he’s gone about it and hopefully he performs properly, and I play higher, however we’re going to have enjoyable. I actually love and respect that he’s down in Australia enjoying.”
Fellow PGA Tour participant Cam Davis echoed Lee’s feedback.
“It’s nice to see any Aussie that’s had success abroad come again and play in Australia,” the 29-year-old mentioned.
“I believe that’s what we miss. I imply, I’ve been within the US for a very long time now, however I keep in mind the 20 years that I spent right here earlier than I moved over to the US, what it was prefer to see somebody that you just watched on TV to lastly come again to Australia and see it in particular person.
“It made an enormous distinction to me.”
The most important classes Day is passing onto the brand new era of Australian golfers is what it takes to develop into the perfect on the earth.
Day made feedback earlier this 12 months about how he believes Lee has the sport to achieve the head however on Tuesday night outlined the mandatory steps it takes to get there.
“It’s actually a life-style,” Day mentioned. “You must eat, sleep and golf. It’s 24/7. Continuous.
“You’ll be able to have enjoyable with your mates now and again, however as soon as that’s over it’s again to golf, again to work. You must focus.
“The whole lot you do relies on how one can get to being primary on the earth.
“For me, I didn’t have a can of Coke for 2 years. I don’t assume it’s that spectacular however McDonald’s Coke and fries (is the perfect).
“Consuming rooster and broccoli each meal. Ten-hour days of straight observe and gymnasium, generally two a day gymnasium periods.
“The whole lot was pushing in the direction of that aim.”
He additionally regaled the younger Australians with tales of what it’s prefer to be within the hunt at a significant.
Adam Scott’s 2013 Masters triumph is without doubt one of the most talked about feats in Australian golf historical past, however many have forgotten that it was Day who regarded almost certainly to interrupt the nation’s duck at Augusta Nationwide within the early hours of that well-known morning.
“I choked,” Day mentioned.
“I had the lead with three holes left.
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“It felt like I had cramps throughout my physique. It was that intense.
“I used to be standing on 16 tee field, and I used to be simply amped. I completed second in my rookie Masters and by 2013 I’d type of established myself on the tour. I type of may deal with it slightly bit extra but it surely was very, very onerous.
“I ended up pulling my tee shot. Didn’t get that up-and-down on 16, bogeyed that. Bogeyed 17 and that was that.
“I had a four-iron within the rain on 15 to twenty toes underneath the opening and missed that for eagle when it was bucketing down. They’re not straightforward ending holes.”
The heavy rain in Brisbane this week is considerably of a throwback to that Sunday at Augusta Nationwide.
The stakes are usually not as excessive, however Australian golf followers are hoping that the scenes might be comparable with a number of Australians on the prime of the leaderboard when the whips are cracking.
If Day can carry the trophy, it will be his first victory on residence soil since he received the person competitors, whereas he and Scott took out the workforce occasion on the World Cup of Golf at Royal Melbourne 11 years in the past.
He has by no means received both of Australia’s two main trophies – the Australian PGA and the Australian Open – however it will be a becoming homecoming if he may add a victory in residence state to his already illustrious resume.
Whether or not or not he has a trophy in his keep it up baggage, he can have loads of treats to take again to Ohio with lolly snakes, Burger Rings, lamingtons and extra meat items to be stuffed into this baggage.