[Photo: Sam Navarro]
During his peak, Jason Day could grind away on the range with the best of ’em, particularly during the offseason. Now at 38 years of age, with an injury history as long as a pharmacy receipt, the Ohio-based Queenslander has had to dramatically change how he prepares for another year on the PGA Tour.
“I used to hate playing social rounds,” Day said on this week’s episode of US Golf Digest‘s “The Loop” podcast. “I just, I was a grinder. I’d get on the range and mainly the short game area and putting, and just be grinding.”
When he was younger, the former world No.1 says he’d routinely spend 10-plus hours at the course, and not much of that time was dedicated to actually playing golf. Nine holes, at most. The rest of the time dedicated to beating balls, chipping and putting, and a gym session to cap it all off.
“It’s not so much like that anymore,” he said. “It’s more along the lines of, like, come hit some balls, go and play some holes, make sure everything’s kind of dialled and like the flights of what I want, the feelings through my body and the way that I like, OK, is it covering it nice?
“A lot of it is more feel-based,” Day added.
This week at the American Express tournament in California, Day will embark on his 20th year as a professional golfer. He’s in “the sweet spot of old school and new school”, he says, and, if top-10 finishes in this event last year as well as the Masters, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Travelers are any indication, he can absolutely still hang.
To hear the full interview with Day, in which he speaks about a major equipment change he’s making for 2026, have a listen here.
