Jason Day describes his father, Alvin Day, as a “hard… old-school guy.” The 39-year-old recalls him as a “rough” man and rarely got to spend time with either parent, including his mother, Dening Day, because “they worked a lot.” While Day admits he inherited the same “work ethic” from his parents, he is determined to take a different approach to parenting. 

“We just love being parents,” Day told Golf Digest during an interview at his home in Westerville, Ohio. “For me, being a professional golfer is all about the memories that we made together. I think ultimately, even my golf was based around family.”

For a golfer of Day’s stature, spending time with family can be a challenge, despite the financial rewards of competing at the highest level. A demanding travel schedule and tournaments across the globe often leave little room to balance professional commitments with family life. So, after welcoming children with his wife, Ellie, Day decided it was time to make a change.

To combat loneliness and stay present, Jason Day frequently brings his family to tournaments, often using a luxury motorhome as a mobile home base.

“I didn’t want to see you guys [his kids] grow up without me being there,” he explained. “To have you guys on the road is a blessing. It’s important for me to plan around that.”

Yet the biggest change Jason Day was pushed to make in his life and how he viewed things came from what he learned from his children. 

“I think a lot of patience and finding out what I was supposed to do as a dad,” Jason Day explained about what his children taught him. “That’s the hardest thing. Golf is a very selfish game. You have to be very selfish with your time. And for the first time in my life, I was thinking of someone else. For me to learn that, to learn to be patient, but also loving, to manage my temper, manage everything, because not every child is the same. 

“And you have to have a different game plan for every child. But you still love them the same.”

Despite accepting the lessons and the change that it brought, the 39-year-old admits that they didn’t come easily. 

“Nothing is perfect, and we shouldn’t shoot for perfection,” he added. “But it took me a while to kind of find my bearings and find what I was supposed to do as a father. Ellie was going through postpartum. I was going through a rough patch on the golf course. And it actually took me a year, to the day when Dash turned one, [to feel] like I knew what I was doing as a father.”

Today, of course, he has turned into a pro in fatherhood and expanded his family. Jason Day has five children: Dash James (the eldest), Lucy Adenil, Arrow, Oz, and Winnie. And to further remain closer to his family, Day constructed a private practice complex nicknamed ‘The Barn.’ This eliminated a 40-minute daily commute to the golf club, allowing his kids to join him while he practices and ensuring he doesn’t miss lunch or bedtime.

Even so, despite his commitment to being present for his family, the 13-time PGA Tour winner remains just as dedicated to his game, giving everything he has to perform at his best whenever he competes.

Jason Day was living on his driveway during the Memorial Tournament

The Australian has an unusual way of preparing for the Memorial Tournament. Despite living just 15 miles from Muirfield Village Golf Club in Westerville, Ohio, the 39-year-old spends tournament week in his luxury RV parked in his driveway. The idea is to recreate life on the road, letting him maintain familiar habits without the distractions of home.

The tradition began in 2020, when Day tied for fourth at the Memorial, his best finish in 15 appearances at the tournament. His wife suggested he continue the arrangement, and it has since become part of his preparation. Even his meals are made in the RV, while his sauna, cold plunge, and golf equipment are all part of the routine.

“Just all based off routine,” Jason Day explained before the tournament. “I’ll wake up in the morning and do my sauna and my cold-plunge stuff and then head to the golf course. I’ve got all my clothes and everything there.

“I feel it’s a bit of a distraction for me,” he admitted, explaining why he prefers to prepare independently rather than enjoy the comforts of home.

Despite that, he failed to make the cut in this year’s Memorial Tournament. He was then forced to withdraw from the US Open due to a back injury. He tied for 55th in the Travelers Championship, but he found himself outside the cut line at the Open and the Wyndham Championship, his final appearance in a tournament. 

But the good thing is he is getting to spend more time with his family.