5 things you need to know about PGA Champion Jason Day

Jason Day addresses the press conference after clinching the PGA Championship

Jason Day finally tasted Major success at Whistling Straits this weekend as he held off new World No.1 Jordan Spieth by three strokes. He scored 20-under par over four rounds, a new record in Major history.

He battled vertigo at the US Open earlier this year and endured close finishes in majors before emerging triumphant on Sunday. It has been a tough journey for the Australian, but if anyone deserved Major success, it is Jason Day.

Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about Jason Day:

1. His dad gave him his first golf club

Day’s father Alvin gave the young Jason Day a cut-down woman’s club when he was three years old, which was his first golf club. At the of six,he was enrolled into a local golf club. It inspired Day to take up golf more seriously. 

Tragedy struck Day’s family when Alvin died due to stomach cancer when Jason was just 12 years old.

2. His wife is his good luck charm

Jason Day of Australia poses with the Wanamaker trophywith his wife Ellie and son Dash 

The first tournament Ellie Day, wife of Jason Day attended was the StoneWater leg of the Nationwide Tour in 2006. Day went on to win the event. Then 17-year-old Day was afraid to talk to Ellie and approached his caddie Colin Swanton for her number.

"He made up some excuse why he owed me dinner, and I said, 'OK'," Harvey told Cleveland.com. "I ended up watching him play that weekend at the tournament and he won. It was the first time I ever watched golf. I didn't really realise how big a deal it was. I was like, OK, that's great, that's awesome, exciting."

3. He idolised Tiger Woods

Jason Day and Tiger Woods at the Open this year

Day looked up to 14-time Major champion Tiger Woods as he grew up in the late 90s and early 2000s. The year 2000 was one of the best years in Tiger’s career, where he won three Majors to equal the record set by Ben Hogan in 1953.

Woods was one of the first to congratulate Day on his victory at the PGA Championship.

Game over, very happy for Jason. Great dude and well deserved. Hats off to Jordan, incredible season. Calling it early.

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) August 16, 2015

 

4.  His caddie Colin Swatton has been his guiding light

Jason Day and his caddie Colin Swatton pose with the PGA Championship

The reaction on Day’s face after winning the PGA Championship was priceless. He hugged his caddie with tears in his eyes as he recalled all the support he recieved from Swatton over the years.

“He’s been my coach for 12 years now,” said Day three years ago. “He’s family. It feels like he’s my right arm. I couldn’t play golf without him.”

5. Jason and Ellie run a foundation

The Brighter Days Foundation, which started off in 2011 works at ending child hunger in Ohio. The foundation also helped Typhoon Haiyan victims in the Philippines in 2014, where Jason lost his grandmother, uncle and cousins.