In-form Jason Day is grappling with an equipment conundrum as he strives to reprise the glory days of being a perennial Masters contender.
Runner-up on debut in 2011 and third two years later after having one hand on the trophy late in the final round, Day has returned to Augusta National with renewed belief after some excellent displays in 2026.
After a tie for second at the American Express in January, Day shared sixth at last week’s Houston Open in a mighty confidence booster for Australia’s former world number one.
“I’m doing the right things,” the 38-year-old said ahead of golf’s first major championship of 2026 starting on Thursday night (AEST).
“I’m driving it nice, decently well. The iron play feels like it’s much better than what it had been the last few weeks.
“The game overall, the short game and the putting, feels like it’s rounding out nicely too.
“Overall, I feel very pleased with how things are.”
Day’s only concern is a set-up issue with his irons, which contributed to the major winner missing consecutive cuts at Riviera and Bay Hill before finding something at last month’s Players Championship.
Day was struggling to adjust to the latest-model Avoda clubs he uses.
“Essentially I was standing there and the first generation irons were going too straight for me,” he revealed.
“At the time, I was wanting to hit a draw. I got them to make some where they’re drawing and the second generation was drawing too much.
“Third generation, we made a few tweaks and it was drawing fine, but just the way that it looked to me with a little bit of offset looked like it was hooded and pointing left, so I was kind of fighting that.”
2015 PGA Championship winner Day has finished runner-up at all four majors. (Reuters: Pilar Olivares)
Without trying to be overly technical, Day has reverted to the original model of his irons, a move that sparked a dazzling second-round 63 in Texas last week.
“I’ve come full circle, gone from a draw to a fade,” he said.
“I don’t even know what I want. Golf is we want what we don’t have. It is frustrating sometimes, but just stick to what makes you good and go from there.”
Day firmly believes he still has the game to win a Masters.
Had winner Charl Schwartzel not produced an unprecedented birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie finish, he would have been in a play-off with fellow Australian Adam Scott in 2011.
Had he not blown a two-shot lead with three holes to play in 2013, Day — instead of Scott — would have been Australia’s first-ever Masters champion.
And had he not found the water and racked up a third-round double bogey on the 15th hole in 2019, Day would have been in a play-off with eventual winner Tiger Woods instead of settling for fifth.
The would-haves and should-haves don’t matter now as the Australian number two looks to better his joint-eighth last year and seriously contend once more in his 15th Masters tilt.
His former long-time coach and father figure Col Swatton said Day remains as focused and hungry as ever to add an elusive second major — and more — on what has already been a distinguished career.
Day is one of an elite few to have finished runner-up at all four majors, as well as winning the 2015 PGA Championship.
“What he wants to try and achieve, it would be great if he could get 20 wins to be completely exempt on the PGA Tour,” Swatton told the Golf Channel.
“He’s knocking on the door of arguably a Hall-of-Fame career, but he definitely wants to finish it off.
“He’s not one of those guys that likes to leave any stone unturned or have any sort of unfinished business, and he’d definitely like to do what he can, get back potentially that No.1 spot again.”
AAP
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