THE MODERATOR: All right, we'd like to welcome 13-time PGA TOUR winner and defending champion of the CJ CUP Byron Nelson Jason Day into the interview room here.
Start by saying last year, now that you've had a year to look back on it, what was the most memorable moment for you winning the tournament last year?
JASON DAY: Yeah, obviously everything. When you think about, it always comes back down to the stretch of holes, playing with Si Woo, and how well he played coming down the stretch, and then getting up and down obviously just here on 18 for birdie with the rain coming in.
But it's nice to be able to look back and reflect on that and think about the good memories, especially playing the back nine today in the pro-am.
Q. What was if like for you, the feeling after a winless stretch to actually get at that win and how do you celebrate that night or the next week?
JASON DAY: I didn't celebrate. I typically don't celebrate after a win, which is kind of weird. Kind of get home and I'm already exhausted. Yeah, typically go home and just rest up and just kind of reflect on everything.
Like you said, five years is a long time between wins. Little too long if you ask me. But I don't know, it was kind of strange. Like I had a lot of good finishes leading up to this event or this event last year to win.
I just knew something good was going to happen around the corner and obviously it did. I guess we live kind of in a fish bowl as players because we live week to week and then a person wins and then we're talking about the next guy that wins and goes on from there.
Once the week happened, it was nice to be able to get that win after five years, but my mindset was pretty much quickly on to the next tournament.
And it's unfortunate, because you want to kind of -- wins, especially these days with how tough it is, some guys make it look easy like Scottie, but it's very difficult to come by those wins.
Q. Just talk about the golf course this morning and any changes you noticed, and how is your form?
JASON DAY: I don't think there are changes. The course is soft just because we've had some rain. I would think that we're going to play probably the ball in hand the whole week. That's what I would think. Especially with -- because we're still getting some mudballs out there now and I know we had some rain maybe Saturday last week.
From what we're looking at whether-wise, we've kind of got some bad weather coming in tomorrow. So hopefully we can get through that day and then hopefully rest the week opens up.
But in regards to my play, I hadn't been that happy with it or that pleased with it. My short game has been great. Putting has been great. Off the tee has been great. The iron play has been kind of letting me down. So just working on a few things with Chris to try and like alleviate some of the stress and pressure that the iron play is putting on the rest of my game.
I feel like I've kind of turned a corner now, which has been great.
Q. Just wondering what the win did last year for your mental in terms of eradicating some self-doubt or sparking confidence for you?
JASON DAY: Yeah, it's kind of weird. Golf is a funny game. Not only physically, but mentally as well. Especially where I've been, like I've been to the top of the mountain before and then to be where I was during that five-year span of like do I really want to push enough, kind of push through this and get through the pain of it all.
But it was great to finally see all the work that I've been working on pay off. I remember talking to someone about this and I said like I keep projecting myself forward saying that I'm going to be talking about finally after so and so many years I finally got that win.
It's amazing how mentally tough this game can be. And I would always say to myself that if I can talk myself into a bad shot I can talk myself into a good shot. It's human nature to feel down and guilty for yourself. I just kept on saying to myself, it's only a short period of time. Even though five years is a long time in a career. It's going to happen. Just keep working through it. Ultimately it happened here last year, which was fantastic.
Q. Was it more a sense relief to win or was it adulation?
JASON DAY: Really none of the above. It was like -- I think at the time when I won, it may have been a little bit more relief. But I don't know. I just like I'm so caught up in building towards something. You know, I think at the time when I was -- right before last year when I was playing some nice golf I was kind of playing golf for the wrong reasons I thought.
You know, like I feel like looking kind of in the future and understanding that golf is like more of a marathon and it's a long career if you want it to be; kind of playing from more of a position of like love and passion of the game is I think far healthier to play from than having a chip on your shoulder.
It's easy to find motivation when you have a chip on your shoulder because like people are talking against you and all that stuff. Certain players play well with that, but I feel like that's a limited period of time where that can happen.
There are guys that play from a good position of balance and love. Looking at Scottie Scheffler right now he is playing some of the best golf we've seen in a long time, probably since the Tiger days. He seems like a very well-balanced person. It's very difficult to do.
For me personally I'm just trying to find that balance in amongst professional life and personal life, business and everything this comes along with being a professional golfer.
It's difficult, but I feel like these days -- I mean, this is not my first -- I've been out here 17 years now, so I feel like I'm still learning, and I'll never stop learning.
It'll always evolve and I'll try and get better at it.
Q. Olympics coming up this summer. You're in pole position to be in one of those spots. Just wondering what it means to finally get the opportunity to be able to do that and what you're looking forward to?
JASON DAY: Yeah, I think I -- probably looking back on it, I wish I would've gone to Rio. Had one of those spots and at the time we were having kids, and then obviously there was that scare, so I was kind of like a little bit freaked out about that.
I wish I would've gone, but if I get the opportunity to go and represent the country, my country, Australia and get to go to Paris, that would be an absolute blast, an honor to do that.
To be able to call yourself an Olympian would be even better. If I get the opportunity I'm 100% going.
Q. On the subject of team golf, the Presidents Cup is this year later in Canada. A lot of players in this field that are international team members eligible. How motivated are you to get back on this team?
JASON DAY: Yeah, we got a couple team events. I think Mike is doing a great job. I didn't go to the team dinner last night because my wife's birthday.
Q. Happy birthday, Ellie.
JASON DAY: Yeah, so Mike has been a great captain so far. With the current vice captains we have, we have a lot of experience. I think he's doing all the right things. He's had success there in the past. We're trying to do as much as we can to get the local crowd on our side as the home team.
Then I think the Canadian guys on team right now as well are jacked to play. It's all coming together now, which is good. See how it goes.
Q. As big as last year's win was for you, this was also the tournament for your first win. The venue has changed a couple times since then. Based on being the first place you won on tour, what has this tournament meant to you?
JASON DAY: Well, I lived in the DFW area for a couple years. I've always enjoyed the people here. I grew up on, not like grass like this, but on bermudagrass, so you kind of get that a lot here.
I didn't grow up in too much wind, but what I've noticed I've had a lot of success here in Texas. From the Los Colinas Golf Course we play to this one as well. I always find it funny to think there is 13 years between my first and last win, which is like I always wonder where the time went.
But it's nice to be able to come back to a place that I've had success that I know and whether that's here or Los Colinas or around Texas. I've always enjoy playing in Texas.
Q. One other part about that 2010 win, Jordan set the world on fire as a 16 year old here.
JASON DAY: Yeah.
Q. What do you remember about that? Was there any part of you after you won that was like, hey, I won?
JASON DAY: Yeah, Jordan, like he was 16 and hadn't -- doesn't look too different to what he looks now, to be honest. Still a baby face. Played with David Lutterus. He was on the TOUR at the time, Australian guy.
I just remembered like being in my own little world but I'm like who is this amateur, junior, that's playing this week and playing really well. He obviously played really well.
Obviously not too far after that then he lit the world on if fire with three quick major championships in 2015. So it's like kind of nice.
Jordan has been a good friend for a while now. It's been good to see the success he's had. I get the opportunity to play with him the first two rounds this week. I'm excited about that because it reminds me of old school times playing in '14, '15, '16 against him when he was the top -- he was No. 1 in the world and was really tough to beat that guy.
Q. Scottie and Meredith Scheffler are expecting their first. As a father of five, do you have any words of advice on how to handle fatherhood or jugging is playing career?
JASON DAY: Oh, boy. (Smiling.) Yeah, I mean, I'm so happy for Scottie and Meredith. I think this is going to be a whole new world that's going to open up. It's going to be for the better. You won't even remember the time before when you were -- when you had no kids.
The pure enjoyment that you get from having kids is -- there is nothing like it. The stress that you get from having kids, there is nothing like it.
So it's going to be a lot of fun for him. He's going to have to adjust a little bit. It took me a year to really adjust to being a father. I could not find my identity in being a father because of how selfish this game can be.
Once I found that out and I could understand it a little bit more, that's when I started becoming like a better father. What I'm trying to do is shape my kids into people that I think that would be good citizens and good people that would somehow help the future.
So yeah, I don't know. We've had, what is it, three kids in hospital, two at home as a home births. It's all over the shop. Yeah, I think family comes first, golf, then health. As long is a family comes first, that's all that matters.
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