Why Jason Day won’t even walk the course before US PGA

Jason Day will be going on pure instinct at the PGA Championship this week as he revealed he would not be playing a practice round before the tournament.

The revitalised Australian has prioritised getting rest over an Oak Hill scouting mission in an unusual preparation plan ahead of the second men’s major of the year starting in Rochester on Thursday.

Day is riding the wave of an emotional first first tour victory in five years at the AT&T Bryon Nelson last weekend.

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He admits he is still a “little tired” from that thrilling final round win in Texas and it “sucks” that he is going into the tournament with no experience of the course.

But Day believes focusing on his mental recovery will give him the best opportunity to contend for his second PGA Championship title this weekend.

“I haven’t played the course,” he said. “Unfortunately, I haven’t seen the course. I most likely probably won’t see the course today.

“I’m just not fighting anything, I just want to make sure that I’m mentally prepared and mentally ready for tomorrow.

“No matter how well I prepare, even if I go out and play a practice round, if I come in tomorrow tired and exhausted, it won’t do me any favors, so I’m just going to try and take it easy. It’s not the first time I’ve come into the major championship not playing a practice round.”

Day does concede, however, that he will be at a disadvantage having not learned the nuances of an Oak Hill setup that is being billed as hugely challenging by his fellow pros.

He added: “I won’t be able to see how the greens are bouncing coming in to approach play, and I won’t really see how the greens are rolling typically out there.

“I know we have practice facilities here, but it won’t give you the best preparation going forward unless you’ve seen the golf course.

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“But I think if I come in a little bit mentally tired and I start making mental errors, it’s one of those golf courses from what I know and what I’ve played in the past, that if I start making mental errors, then it’s going to go downhill pretty quick from there.

“I’ve just got to be cautious, understand that I’ve come off a good week from last week, and with a win comes some expectations. But, also, I’ve got to not get too far ahead of myself and make sure that I listen to myself and listen to my body.”

Day tees off alongside Bryson DeChambeau and Keegan Bradley at 2.06pm BST on Thursday as he begins his bid to add to his sole major title at this event in 2015.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.