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PGA Tour Injury Update: Jason Day Reveals Harsh Truth Behind ‘Everyday’ Back Pain Struggles

Published 03/14/2024, 8:58 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

An athlete’s career always has the danger of being fraught with injuries. This has especially been the case with Jason Day, who, back in 2021, had suffered from a back injury that forced him to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament and kept him away from the U.S. Open. However, three years down the lane, it seems the golfer is still having a hard time due to the same at THE PLAYERS Championship.

The Australian athlete took to an interview after a remarkable first round at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday. However, while doing so, he went ahead to share about the amount of work he has had to and continues to put in to stay on top of his shape owing to his sore back.

Jason Day and his everyday struggles

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“Every day I’ll have… there’s hiccups along the way,” disclosed the 36-year-old when asked about his back during the press conference. Adding on, the professional recounted his journey over the past three years as he said, “Obviously from where I was to where I am now is a dramatic difference. Like it’s a long way from where I was.”

Additionally, revealing the amount of work that he puts into his body every day, the golfer said, “I cold plunge, sauna, and cold plunge every morning, and I’ll probably cold plunge today just to stay on top of it. I’ll see my trainer, as well.” Elaborating on the same, he emphasized the time he needed to put in as well; “There’s probably a good — anywhere between a good two to three hours of bodywork a day that I have to put into it.”

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Additionally, revealing the amount of work that he puts into his body every day, the golfer said, “I cold plunge, sauna, and cold plunge every morning, and I’ll probably cold plunge today just to stay on top of it. I’ll see my trainer, as well.” Elaborating on the same, he emphasized the time he needed to put in as well; “There’s probably a good — anywhere between a good two to three hours of bodywork a day that I have to put into it.”

Meanwhile, Day managed to score a scintillating 5-under 67 on the first day of play at TPC Sawgrass in the ongoing tournament. Interestingly, he was able to register the numbers owing to the five birdies he managed to card over the day, placing him at T6, tied with six other athletes, including the likes of Ludvig Aberg and Scottie Scheffler.

Unfortunately for the 1-time major champ, he had been suffering from the injury since 2021, which forced him to opt out from playing in the qualifiers for the 2021 U.S. Open. This, in turn, led to the golfer missing out on his third major of the season, followed by the Masters and the Open Championship.

Day’s injury ends his major championship streak in 2021

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The golfer missing out on the qualifiers led him to not qualify for a major as well as the U.S. Open for the first time since the year 2010. This led to the athlete being forced to bring down his impressive streak of playing in 34 majors consecutively. But, interestingly, soon after, he managed to make a comeback at the Travelers Championship.

 “I felt a little bit of stiffness after my range session in the afternoon yesterday, and I just — I’ve been hitting a lot of flighted shots,” said the Australian when asked about his back stiffness after the first round. Adding on, he said, “Sometimes when I get a little bit too far left everything, has to go back and start crunching on the right lower part of my back again.” 

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The golfer has truly come a long way through nothing but his sheer will and hard work. But even so, he seems to be still plagued by the injury that once forced him out of the game, leading him to end a wonderful streak. His fans would undoubtedly be hoping that wouldn’t be the case again in the future.

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Written by:

Allan Abe

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One take at a time

Allan Abe is a Senior Golf Writer at EssentiallySports. Armed with a Master’s Degree in English, he has covered many themes in golf as a beat writer, with in-depth coverage of instances of many golfers’ lives, like Bubba Watson and Adam Scott. Allan particularly excels at live coverage and a hole-to-hole analysis of events.
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Edited by:

Tushhita Barua

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