Day Makes History in "Major" Fashion

Twenty-seven year old Australian professional golfer Jason Day won the fourth and final major golf tournament of the year on the PGA Tour circuit on Sunday, August 16th. With a total score of twenty under par, Day surpassed the standing record for the lowest total score in a major championship by one stroke. The title was previously held by Day’s childhood idol, Tiger Woods, who he claims inspired him to work hard at the game of golf to become the best that he could be.

After losing his father to stomach cancer when he was only twelve years old, Day quickly became a very troubled child. His mother grew concerned for his well-being and safety and decided to sell their house in order to get the money needed to send him to a prestigious boarding school. While he attended the boarding school, he met his current swing coach and close friend, Colin Swatton, who was there to walk up the 18th fairway with him on Sunday afternoon.

Jason Day had come close to winning major championships in the past, but could not quite put all of the pieces of the puzzle together. Day got the push he needed at the United States Open Championship in June, the second major of the year. He was recently diagnosed benign positional vertigo, a condition that can make the affected person feel as if their head is spinning and causes extended bouts of sudden dizziness. He battled with this throughout the majority of the tournament, but still managed to come out with a tied for ninth finish. Though he did not win, Day realized that no matter the obstacle, he could fight through it and perform well in high-pressure situations.

The week of the PGA Championship, Day was convinced that he could win the tournament. He was sure that he could win outright, and he refused to have anything handed to him, especially a major title. He played as hard as he could throughout all four rounds and took plenty of risks, and lucky for him, all of those risks paid off.

Shawn Mauer, the program director of the First Tee of Greater Knoxville, explained how he felt about Jason Day’s win, a feeling that is shared among many. “I was excited and happy to see him win. With him being relatively young, it adds more competition to a young group of guys that are leading the PGA Tour. It also adds excitement to a growing rivalry of aspiring young golfers.”