Top 20 Players to Watch in 2019: No. 19 Jason Day

Jason Day bounced back from a tough year in 2017, finding two wins in 2018 and proving he’s still a force to be reckoned with on the PGA TOUR. For those reasons and more, he’s definitely a top player to watch for 2019.

Jason Day was one of the hottest golfers on the planet between 2015 and 2016. His eight wins in that stretch included his only major (to date) at the 2015 PGA Championship, two FedEx Cup Playoff titles, and a runaway victory at THE PLAYERS Championship. He rose to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking three times for a combined 51 weeks.

To call Day the most dominant player in that window would be still be a wild understatement. He stepped into what looked like a two-man battle between Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth and became a force in what many called the new “Big Three”, reminiscent of the days of Palmer, Nicklaus and Player.

Then, in 2017, reality came crashing down on the Aussie superstar in a big way. He dealt with the mental stresses and fatigue of being his sport’s biggest star, battled through illnesses, and dealt with a pair of major personal situations. He even made the difficult decision to bring a new caddie onboard, parting ways with longtime coach and admitted father figure, Colin Swatton.

While all of those things piling up in the course of a single year would be far more than enough to crumble many solid pros, Day persevered. Today, following a two-victory season in 2018, Jason Day is 14th in the World Ranking, and looking forward to a strong season in 2019.

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Day also is very upfront with the fact, despite the stresses he dealt with as the best player in the world in 2016, he is still laser-focused on getting back to that level. And he’s well aware of what it will take to get there, as his personal and professional lives evolve.

Day believes there’s a level of both selfishness and sacrifice in becoming the best player in the world. He was never afraid to take both of those challenges on, but as his family grows – his wife Ellie gave birth to a son, Arrow, in November – he also needs balance to make it through this time.

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"“It takes desire, but it takes balance in life,” Day said. “Right now, I’m at a different stage in my life just having my third child. It’s hard. Tiger made it look so easy over the years. Being No. 1 for 13 years is very impressive, but to be able to be a dominant player, that’s the biggest thing. I wanted to be one of those guys.”"

So what will it take? Day won’t give up on his golf dreams, and he won’t give up on his family, so he’s taking a page out of Kobe Bryant’s book – literally.

"“I was reading the Kobe Bryant book, and he knew there was something he needed to sacrifice, so he sacrificed sleep. Because he couldn’t sacrifice family, he couldn’t sacrifice competing, and not working. What can I sacrifice? Sleep.”"

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Day pressed through the end of his 2018 commitments, making a pair of starts in Asia in October, placing T5 at THE CJ CUP and T11 at the WGC-HSBC Champions. He’s enjoying a well-earned holiday break after a trip to the Bahamas for the Hero World Challenge, and he’ll kick it back into gear right after the new year, making his return to the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

The level of competition on the PGA TOUR has never been as high as it is today (Day won twice last year and dropped one place in the OWGR overall), but his ceiling might be higher than anyone else’s, too. Look for him to prove that once again in 2019. Jason Day is back and he’ll be better than ever.

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