Australian golfer Jason Day’s mother Dening has passed away after an almost five-year battle with cancer.
Day, the 2015 PGA Championship winner, shared the news on Instagram after withdrawing from the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida.
Dening, 65, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017 and had been living in the US at Day’s Ohio residence.
She died in Columbus, Ohio with Day and family by her side.
“Last night, my mum peacefully left us after battling cancer for five years,” Day wrote on Instagram. “We are heart broken but incredibly grateful for the gift we had in her living with us for the last almost two years full time. She fought so hard until the very last breath. I am forever indebted to her for the sacrifices she made for me to be successful, and for the person she helped me to become. We will miss her so much.”
Dening Day was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017, a condition revealed by an emotional Jason during that year’s World Golf Championships – Dell Technologies Match Play. Through specialist treatment in Day’s adopted hometown of Columbus, she was able to beat back the disease.
But cancer returned a few years ago, which saw Dening leave Australia to continue a new fight while living with Jason, his wife Ellie, and their four kids Dash, Lucy, Arrow and Oz. Daughters Yanna, Kim and grandson Cooper also flew from Australia a few weeks ago to be on hand as her condition worsened.
Dening’s long fight sadly ended Wednesday night.
Cancer has now claimed both of Day’s parents. His father Alvyn passed away from stomach cancer when Jason was 12, leaving Dening as a single mother. With a young Jason spiraling out of control at the time, she borrowed money from his uncle and sold their house to get him into a boarding school with a golf program.
It was there he met former coach and caddie Colin Swatton and the two began a journey that would ultimately land on the PGA TOUR and bring world No. 1 status. – Additional reporting Ben Everill via pgatour.com
