Jason Day has revealed that an inexplicable sense of tranquility, which he has experienced just once before in his professional career, carried him through his extraordinarily successful 2015 season.
“There’s been two times in my career where I’ve had this sense of calm come over me,” Day said. “The first time I was on the Nationwide Tour and I went away on a trip to Japan with a buddy and when I came back I felt this calm come over me and I played great and got on the PGA Tour.
"And this time I went to the UK and played the Open Championship and after playing that event, I just felt good about myself. For some reason, I just felt it was my time to go out and play well.
"And moving on to the RBC Canadian Open, which was directly the week after, and taking that good form started my run the second half of the year.”
He followed that by a stunning stretch in which he won three of his next six events, including his first major at the PGA Championship.
He is now back swinging again after the birth of his second child, recently hosting a day for his sponsor RBC.
That was the first time he had touched his clubs since the Presidents Cup in Korea in October and they will go back in the garage again until December 28.
Following his busy and lucrative year which saw him rise to No,1 in the world, Day is having an extended break because, as he warns, he expects next year to be bigger and better.
“It was good for me to take the time off,” Day said. “Every now and then it’s good to take the time off, but … I’m looking forward to the next 20 days to be over so I can get out to Palm Springs and practise. I’m really looking forward to seeing what this year has in store for me.”
He might be on holidays but he is still working hard in the gym and following a strict diet.
“I’m allowed three cheat meals a week,” he said.
Day's major targets in 2016 are The Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and The Masters in April, 2016, where he has tied for second and a third over five years but in the past two at Augusta has tied for 20the and 28th.
"I think the biggest thing for me is just to relax and not try too hard,” he said. “I think the last couple of years I just pushed too hard to really try and win that event and that doesn’t serve me well. It’s not like when I was there the first couple of years. I just went out and enjoyed myself and had a lot of fun.”
Unlike compatriot Adam Scott, Day is looking forward to Rio.
"It's a hassle to go down there and take the time out of the schedule – it kind of messes with the PGA Tour schedule,” he said.
“But to have an opportunity to represent my country, go down to Rio and try to win a gold medal, it’s a big priority because at the end of my career, I’d love to have a gold medal, or silver or bronze. It would just be great to be an Olympian in the first place.”