If you really want to know the secret of Jason Day’s success, you’d have to look way beyond those monstrous and fearless 380-yard drives with which he brought Whistling Straits to its knees and won the PGA Championship.
You’d have to look thousands of kilometers away in the office of a shipping company in Bowen Hills in Brisbane, Australia.
That’s where Dening Day, Jason’s mum, was frantically trying to follow his progress through the closing holes through various social media and the PGA Championship website. She could not watch her son on television because she decided not to take a sick day and go to the office despite knowing it was going to be the biggest day of his career.
That’s precisely the kind of work ethic and attitude Dening has inculcated in her son, who finally broke through in a major championship after several close calls in the past. Nothing should come in the way of call of duty.
Nine top-10s in 19 previous starts would have been enough to frustrate most players, but in Day’s case, it kept adding to his hunger. When the door did not open after repeated knocking, he just smashed through it with a performance so virtuoso, it went straight into the history books.
Two major records were obliterated on Sunday, both belonging to Tiger Woods. Day shot 20-under par for the tournament, which was one shot better than Woods’ record low tally of 19-under par to win the 2000 Open Championship. And Jordan Spieth finished the majors this season in 54-under par, which was once again a shot better than Woods’ 53-under par in 2000.
If further proof was ever needed that a post-Tiger era has begun in golf, this was it. While the former world No1 missed the cut, the turn of events at Whistling Straits sees Spieth as the new leding golfer in the world, Rory McIlroy slipping one place to No2 and Day ascending to No3 in the rankings.
– Jason Day to Tiger Woods: PGA Championship winners & losers
– VIDEO: Emotional Day reflects on PGA Championship victory
– VIDEO: Spieth: “PGA Championship the best loss I’ve ever had”
Spieth is 22 years old, McIlroy 26 and Day 27 – an average age of 25. That’s just astonishing for a sport where, not long ago, players were supposed to reach their peak in the late 30s.
Compared to the ever more youthful sport tennis, the average age of the top three players (Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Roger Federer) is 30.
Thanks to its three leaders, golf is in rude health. They have proven over the years that they have the skills to entertain and engage, but more importantly, they are great characters who are brilliant for the game. Just look at Day and what an inspirational role model he is.
Brought up in near poverty – he recalled how they did not even have a water heater in their house growing up – and an alcoholic at the tender age of 12 after losing his father to cancer, golf came to his rescue and he has never looked back.
Very special. Jason’s day at last: http://t.co/rlgUWLZIff
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 16, 2015
Now a millionaire several times over, Day has not forgotten his roots.
While his golf has been dazzling, his charity work has been equally impressive. That includes the time in 2013 when Philippines (from where his mother hails) was ravaged by Typhoon Haiyan. He lost eight members of his family, including his grandmother, and has been one of the biggest donors towards the rehabilitation efforts through his Brighter Days Foundation.
It is little wonder that the golfing world was delighted for Day when he finally won his maiden major – even his rivals. You see, nice guys don’t always finish last.
