When Jason Day steps to the 10th tee at 9:06 Thursday morning to begin his opening round of the PGA Championship, it will be his first look at Oak Hill.
In a highly unusual practice, the 35-year-old Aussie, a former No. 1 ranked player in the world and the 2015 PGA Championship winner, opted not to play a single practice round in advance of the tournament — even though he’s never even seen Oak Hill before.Winning can be a mentally taxing exercise because of all the pressure that comes with being around the lead all week.
“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,’’ Day said Wednesday. “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.“I haven’t played the course. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen the course. I’m just not fighting anything [injury-wise]; I just want to make sure that I’m mentally prepared and mentally ready for [Thursday].
It’s been a long road back for Day, one that has seen him settle on a coach, Chris Como, who’s changed his swing so it takes the pressure off his back. Como once worked with Tiger Woods when Woods realized his swing was too physically taxing on his ailing back. “He’s a former world No. 1, a major champion, a Players champion. The guy has really done everything there is to do in the game, and if he just starts to get that self-belief firing again, which is what I’ve seen the last six months, he absolutely can win a few more big ones.’’
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