Tiger Woods and Jason Day have struck up such a great on-course relationship, the pair now often text each other.
This friendship was no more apparent during the opening two rounds of this year’s Open Championship at St. Andrews when Day and Woods were often spotted chatting between shots, and with the third member of the group Louis Oosthuizen seemingly on his own when it came to on-course chit-chat.
But Day says that when Woods first began texting, it was clear to the Queenslander he was not up to Woods’ level mentally.
So much so the 14-time major-winning American now has to “dumb it down” to the 27-year-old Australian’s level when texting Day.
“Tiger’s text messages, I have to digest them a little bit more, because he is very smart,” Day said.
“He has to kind of dumb it down to my level, man. He is saying these words, I’ve got to try to think them through.”
Of course, Woods is almost 13 years older than Day, but then the Ohio-based Aussie welcomes every opportunity to “pick” Woods’ brain.
“It’s been really cool,” Day said.
“Who wouldn’t want that mentorship from a player like that, especially on the golf course? To be able to receive text messages, and ask him questions, and him being so open towards me has been fantastic.”
And if Day was to capture this week’s Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston – and event at which he has previously been runner-up – then he could also speak to Woods about the pressures of being No. 1 in the world as the Aussie would take over the mantle should he win and if current World No. 1 Rory McIlroy and the present No. 2 Jordan Spieth were to both finish outside the top two.
If so, he would join Greg Norman and Adam Scott as the only Australian players to be ranked No. 1 in the world.