Evin Priest
Jason Day has revealed a secret Masters tradition he describes as heaven on turf, which helps the former world No.1 reach a state of nirvana ahead of golf’s most hyped major.
The former world No.1 is preparing for his 15th Masters, and has always been among the first competitors to set foot on Augusta National during Masters week. He arrives eight days before the final round and begins his bid for a green jacket in earnest, striking his first shot on the Saturday afternoon minutes after the winning putt drops in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur championship.
While the women’s amateur crowds vacate the property, Day and his caddie make the steep descent down the 10th fairway as the late afternoon sun penetrates the gaps in Augusta’s towering pines. The pink azaleas are usually in full bloom and, most years, Day can only hear birds chirping.
“That Saturday, it would be like if you died and went to heaven and you were playing a round of golf up there,” Day said. “Typically, I’ll play the back nine and there won’t be a single soul. It’s the most peaceful nine holes you can have on a golf course all year. It’s magical.”
The Masters is renowned for its many traditions, but this one is Day’s.
Eagle-eyed golf fanatics may know the large green number ironed onto the recognisable white overalls worn by Augusta caddies corresponds to the order their player checked in at tournament registration. Day’s bagman, close mate Luke Reardon, was caddie No.5 last year and No.2 in 2024.
The 38-year-old Day joins 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott, as well as 2020 joint runner-up Cameron Smith and Min Woo Lee as the four Australians in the field.
Day’s preparation continues with daily nine-hole practice rounds from Sunday to Tuesday before his wife and children take part in the par-three tournament on Wednesday.
Between practice, you’ll find Day and his family holed up in their five-star motorhome parked nearby.
“I literally go from the course to the bus and back, that’s it,” Day said. “I spend time with my family. My therapy [gear] is in there, too: cold plunge, sauna, steam shower and workout mats. I’m very big into that stuff because I’m at a time in my career where I need to look after my body for longevity. I have the same bed [as his Ohio house] and with my family in close quarters, it feels like home.”
It’s difficult to believe Day is approaching 40, and that it’s been 15 years since a 23-year-old version sat in a similar motorhome and, on the eve of the 2011 Masters, emotionally told his team he intended to quit professional golf. He had one PGA Tour victory to his name and wasn’t enjoying the game. Day’s team talked him into at least teeing up and by Sunday he finished joint runner-up.
Since that career-best Masters result, Day has finished third in 2013 – when he surrendered a late lead to Scott – while he has also shared 10th (2016), fifth (2019) and eighth (2025).
Day can easily explain a run of poor Masters results between 2020 and 2024: he plummeted to world No.175 and his iron play wasn’t up to Augusta National’s lofty standards.
“I didn’t hit my irons as high as I would like for four years,” Day said. “Around Augusta, the apex of your iron shots coming into the greens needs to be high to stop the ball. My trajectories came down a lot. I’ve worked on that recently and got my apex back to around 130 feet.”
Day’s solid form on the PGA Tour includes a tie for second in his season opener, in the California desert in January and a share of sixth at the recent Houston Open. That was his final hit out before Augusta.
The world No.41 is hopeful of adding a second major to his 2015 PGA Championship – and a second green jacket for Australia.
“I’ve had success at Augusta, and I’d like to break through at some point,” Day said. “I’m very hungry. Trying to win the Masters is the biggest thing on my mind every year. I think I’ve got the game to do it. Sorry, I shouldn’t say, ‘I think’; I know I have the game.
“I have experience. If I give myself opportunities and take some, I’ve got a good feeling I can win.”
Such a victory would come with a lifetime Masters invitation and a $US4.2 million ($6.1 million) winner’s cheque. And another perk – the No.1 player registration badge is reserved for the previous year’s champion and his caddie.
It’s the only way Day’s Saturday tradition could get any better.
