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PGA Tour: can Jason Day return to the top of his game?

By Tim Letcher

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 05: Jason Day of Australia plays his shot from the 12th tee during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 05, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 05: Jason Day of Australia plays his shot from the 12th tee during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 05, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Jason Day was on top of the PGA Tour and the golf world in 2015 and 2016. However, back issues have caused him lots of trouble. Can he make a return?

In 2015 and 2016, there may not have been a better golfer on the PGA Tour, or in the entire world, than Jason Day. There was a guy named Jordan Spieth who had a good run during that same time, but Day actually won more events than the American.

Day won a total of eight times during those two seasons, including his only major championship win, which came at the 2015 PGA Championship. That season, Day had a total of five wins on tour including two wins in the FedEx Cup playoffs, where ultimately finished a career-high third in the playoff standings.

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In 2016, Day won three more times, including a win at the Players Championship. He rose to the top of the Official World Golf Rankings near the end of 2015 and he remained there for 51 weeks.

However, the end of the 2016 season was the start of a downward trend for Day. At the Tour Championship, Day was forced to withdraw due to an ongoing back injury. He was just 28 years old at the time, which made the injury especially concerning.

As it turns out, the concern should have, and continues to be, real

After eight wins in the previous two seasons, Day did not win at all in 2017. He had a solid season, finishing 18th in the FedEx Cup standings, but it was not at the level he had seen the previous two seasons.

Day bounced back in 2018, winning at the Farmers Insurance Open and the Wells Fargo Championship. He finished 16th in the FedEx Cup standings that season.

In 2019, Day played in 21 events but had only six top 10 finishes. His best finish of the season was a tie for fourth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and also tied for fifth at the Masters. However, he failed to make the Tour Championship, finishing 54th in the FedEx Cup standings.

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This season, Day has started seven times and has made just four cuts. In his last start, he was forced to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational due to ongoing back troubles.

With the break due to the coronavirus, the hope is that Day has had time to heal. He is currently 91st in the FedEx Cup standings and it appears that, at least until he can get his back healthy, Day’s slide will continue. However, he’s still just 32 years old, so the hope is that he can get his back to cooperate and can return to the top of his game.

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