“It really kicked my butt” - Jason Day opens up on his vertigo bout at The Masters
The 2023 Masters had several storylines running on its field, including Jason Day’s vertigo bout. The Aussie golfer arrived at Augusta National after finishing inside the top 20 in all seven of his starts this year. However, the golfer settled for a forgettable T39 finish at The Masters.
Day enjoyed a strong start at The Masters. The Aussie was solo second during the second round at Augusta National and looked like a strong contender to finish inside the top 10. However, the golfer suffered a hit of vertigo on Sunday, which ruined his tournament. He dropped on the leaderboard and ended up at T39. Day, who first faced the condition at the 2015 U.S. Open, said that the bout ‘kicked his butt at Augusta.’
Recalling his vertigo bout at The Masters ahead of the Wells Fargo Championship this week, Jason Day said, as quoted by Golfweek:
“We had to finish our third round Sunday morning and then I was sitting in the caddie hut and that’s when I got vertigo. It really kicked my butt at Augusta. That was like kind of the time where I had to take a step back.”
Jason Day update:
"So last round of the Masters I had vertigo, so that was obviously not fun to play in that final round. We had to finish our third round Sunday morning and then I was sitting in the caddie hut and that's when I got vertigo."
#WellsFargoChampionship twitter.com/InjuryReportPG… https://t.co/5iPXF9eRjY
The 35-year-old, who made four double bogeys on the final day, added:
“I’ve been playing a lot better so there’s obviously more stress and when you have more stress, your immune system can get compromised and for me it was just unfortunate that happened in the last round. It’s never really the mental side or the actual me going out there and trying to work harder that stops me from golf, it’s typically my body saying, ‘No, you can’t do that anymore.’”
Furthermore, Day stated that he feels refreshed coming into the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship. The Aussie golfer said that he has a new diet and got some much-needed rest ahead of the competition.
Jason Day comments on PGA Tour schedule changes
Jason Day also commented on the Wells Fargo Championship being elevated to one of the Tour’s 14 designated events for the season. The 2018 Wells Fargo champion stated that the $20 million event was one of the PGA Tour's 'reactions to LIV Golf.’
Giving his take on the PGA Tour schedule changes, Day said:
“I think a lot of the decisions we’ve made, the Tour and the policy board has made over the last year, there obviously has been a reaction to what (LIV Golf) has brought to the table. To be honest, I think everyone’s better for it. I mean, we’re playing for more money on both sides. What’s more sustainable, I’m not sure, but I’m looking at the picture right now and it feels pretty good. I’m just trying to get back to winning at the end of the day and leave the decision making to (Rory McIlroy) and those guys.”
It is pertinent to note that Jason Day’s last win came five years ago at the Wells Fargo Championship. Having won 10 times on the circuit between the 2015 Farmers Insurance Open and the 2018 event at Quail Hollow, the golfer has been struggling on the field lately.