EDISON, NEW JERSEY; Newly crowned US PGA champion Jason Day says it would the “icing on the cake” should he capture the FedEX Cup and unseat World No.1 Jordan Spieth in voting as the US PGA Tour’s player of the year.
Day is returning to competition at The Barclays in Edison, New Jersey, after his historic three-stroke success over Spieth at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
The 27-year old Australian intends contesting all four FedEx Cup playoff events and is hopeful, despite Spieth having captured two majors and two other Tour titles this season, that winning the FedEx Cup will deny Spieth player of the year honours.
“The next four weeks starting this week here in New Jersey are very important and to be able to win the FedEx Cup would be the icing on my season,” Day said.
“If I could snag the FedEx Cup trophy to go with my PGA Championship victory, I could go very close to being named player of the year.
“I know it’s going to be tough to unseat Jordan because he’s played such amazing golf this year, but then if I were to capture the FedEx Cup then it puts my name in the mix for that award and gives our peers voting on the award someone else’s name to think about.
“And if there is any extra inspiration I need to win the FedEx Cup, then it’s been looking each day at the Rodman Wanamaker Trophy that’s sitting proudly upstairs back home in my office.
“I sat there one time last week just looking at it for I don’t know how long, and just reading all the names on the trophy.
“And now having won one major, it would be nice to go on and win all four.”
Apart from hosting two corporate outings in his American home town of Columbus, Ohio, Day has spent much of the past week relaxing with his wife Ellie and young son Dash.
But Day had hardly any time to himself today at the Plainfield course, finding himself congratulated at every turn by his fellow competitors, officials, caddies and spectators.
“The reception since I arrived here at Plainfield has been simply amazing and also after all the media engagements and hosting a couple of corporate days, I am really pleased to be getting back to work this week,” he said.
"What I really want to do is regain that momentum I had in winning the PGA Championship, so I want to keep that going all through all four FedEx Cup events.
“I am No.2 on the points standing and I feel as though I have a good chance to end the year as No.1 as long as I keep that good form going.
“I’ve clearly come back to the Tour with a real spring in my step and I guess that’s what being a major champion is all about – and I would like to have (that) week like not just once a year, but four times a year, if not more.
“So it’s also about managing your recovery so that you can properly prepare for an important week like The Barclays, as I dealt with so many media commitments last week. But then in saying that, I am fine with that aspect.
“I had to make sure I still practised on my game and found time to still go into the gym but still hang out with the family.
“Of course, winning a first Major was a new experience for me and I feel as though I dealt with the first week and a bit okay.
“So hopefully, I will be a little bit more better prepared when hopefully the next one comes around.”
However Day certainly was not prepared when the eight-seater motorised golf cart carrying him and others from the Plainfield practice range to the clubhouse broke down.
Day happily jumped out to push the cart away from the main path.
“A PGA champion is not supposed to do this, is he?” Day joked.