Jason Day will ‘re-evaluate’ golf career when he turns 40
SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — Jason Day doesn’t sound like a guy who is long for a long career in golf.
The world No. 1 said Wednesday at PGA Championship media day at Baltusrol Golf Club that he’ll stop at the age of 40 to decide if he’ll press on, or if he’ll walk away from the sport.
“When I get to 40, I’m going to re-evaluate everything and then go from there,” Day said. “Because when I get to 40, I would like to see where I’m at in my career because I might want to go, ‘You know what, I’m done. I’m just happy with everything,’ and I’m going to go off my merry way and I’ll probably never pick up a golf club ever again.”
Day, father of 3-year-old Dash and 8-month-old Lucy, said his children’s interest in the game would be factor. So, too, would be where he ranks against his peers and if his body, which had given him trouble in the past, held up against the rigors of pro golf.
“But it also depends on if Dash is playing, if Lucy is playing, if I’m still competitive and my body’s great, because I’m just trying to extend,” he added. “What I’m doing with my body and with my golf game, I’m trying to extend the longevity of my career.”
Day has been working with a trainer in hopes of sculpting his body into a condition that would prevent the kinds of injuries that plagued his early career. Pressed on where his fitness is, Day said his trainer estimates the Aussie is some 18 months away from reaching his goal.
Despite winning 10 times, Day said last week at the U.S. Open that number isn’t nearly enough. He’s pursuing trophies with the vigor of a desperate man, perhaps aware he won’t remain at the top of his game forever. So, Day, who said he has gotten up at 5 a.m. since he was 14 to practice and exercise, will continue to push himself and his body as far as he can until the moment comes when there’s something else more important.
“It’s over when you don’t want to improve anymore. It’s over when you’re done improving yourself on and off the golf course,” Day said. “That’s probably the biggest thing, because winning is taken care of by the process that you put into your game. The small victories that you have along the way, with regards to practicing that extra hour when you didn’t really want to, or being out there practicing when you didn’t want to practice that day. Going to the gym when you felt like, ‘You know what, I’ll just take a day off and go tomorrow.'”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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