Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Jason Day

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Jason Day made an impact.

Jason Day is an Australian professional golfer who achieved significant success early in his career, highlighted by winning the 2015 PGA Championship and reaching world No. 1. His peak performance spanned 2015-2016, with multiple tournament victories, including The Players Championship. Day held the No. 1 ranking for a total of 51 weeks. After a period of inconsistent performance that saw him drop in the rankings, Day experienced a notable comeback in 2023, winning the AT&T Byron Nelson, finishing T2 at the British Open, and returning to the top 20 in the world golf rankings.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2000: Australian Masters Junior Event Win

At the age of 13, Jason Day had his first big win in 2000 at an Australian Masters junior event on the Gold Coast, where he won with scores of 87, 78, 76 and 76.

2004: Amateur Achievements

In 2004, Jason Day was twice awarded the Australian Junior Order of Merit and won the Australian Boys' Amateur. He also won the Boys 15–17 division at the 2004 Callaway World Junior Championship.

2005: Loss in Playoff

In 2005, Jason Day lost in a playoff at the Greater Building Society QLD PGA Championship, a professional event on the Von Nida Tour, beaten by Scott Gardiner on the fourth extra hole.

2005: Runner-up at Porter Cup

In 2005, Jason Day was runner-up in the Porter Cup as an amateur.

July 2006: Turned Professional

In July 2006, Jason Day turned professional after winning the Green Jacket at the NEC Master of the Amateurs, signing with TaylorMade and Adidas. He immediately began playing PGA Tour events.

July 2007: First Nationwide Tour Win

In July 2007, Jason Day won his first Nationwide Tour event at the Legend Financial Group Classic, becoming the youngest man to win on any of the PGA Tour's three tours.

2007: Failed to Earn PGA Tour Card

In 2007, Jason Day failed to earn his PGA Tour card but earned conditional status on the Nationwide Tour for 2007.

2008: Earned PGA Tour Card

Jason Day finished 5th on the Nationwide Tour's money list in 2008 to earn his PGA Tour card. He had a mediocre season but had conditional status for 2009.

2009: Conditional Status

Jason Day had conditional status for 2009 after a mediocre season.

May 2010: HP Byron Nelson Championship Win

In May 2010, Jason Day became the youngest Australian to win a PGA Tour event, winning the HP Byron Nelson Championship.

August 2010: First PGA Championship Appearance

In August 2010, Jason Day made his first appearance at the PGA Championship, finishing seven-under-par for the tournament and earning his first top-10 in a major.

2010: Card Retained

A second-place finish at the Puerto Rico Open in 2010 helped Jason Day retain his card for 2010, and he finished 69th in the money list.

June 2011: Second Place at U.S. Open

In June 2011, Jason Day participated at Congressional for the 2011 U.S. Open, achieving consecutive second-place finishes in the majors, finishing alone in second, some eight strokes behind runaway leader Rory McIlroy.

2011: Top 10 Ranking

As a result of his major performances, in 2011 Jason Day moved into the Official World Golf Ranking top-10 for the first time in his career at ninth. Despite not winning a tournament during 2011, Day ended the season ranked 9th on the PGA Tour money list.

2011: Second Place at the Masters

At the 2011 Masters Tournament, Jason Day tied for second with Adam Scott, setting the Masters record for the lowest score by a first-time participant, finishing two strokes short of winner Charl Schwartzel.

2013: Third Place at the Masters Tournament

At the 2013 Masters Tournament, Jason Day finished in third place, two shots behind Adam Scott, and Cabrera, after holding a lead on the back nine Sunday. During the final round, Day got off to a quick start by going birdie-eagle to take a one-shot lead. Day would later go on to birdie 13, 14, and 15 to take a one-shot lead with three holes to play. However, he bogeyed 16 and 17 and just missed a birdie putt at 18 that would have tied the lead

2013: Runner-up at U.S. Open

At the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club, Jason Day finished as a runner-up for the third time in a major championship. He finished in a tie for second alongside Phil Mickelson, two strokes behind Justin Rose.

February 2014: WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship Win

In February 2014, Jason Day won his first World Golf Championship event, the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, lifting him to fourth in the world rankings.

February 2015: Farmers Insurance Open Win

In February 2015, Jason Day won the Farmers Insurance Open with a score of 279 (−9) after prevailing in a four-way playoff, lifting Day back to fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking.

September 2015: World Number 1 Ranking

On 20 September 2015, as a result of the BMW Championship win, Jason Day gained the world number 1 ranking for the first time. He entered the Tour Championship as the FedEx Cup leader, but he finished tied for tenth. Jordan Spieth would win the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup as well as retaking the number one world ranking.

2015: Breakout Season

In 2015, Jason Day had a breakout season, winning five events, including the PGA Championship, a major championship, and became the 19th man to ascend to the world No.1 ranking.

2015: Victories at the RBC Canadian Open and PGA Championship

In 2015, Jason Day won the RBC Canadian Open, his second tour victory of the season and fourth overall. He also won the 2015 PGA Championship, setting a new record as the first player in history to finish at 20-under-par in a major.

July 2016: Earnings on PGA Tour

As of July 2016, Jason Day had earned over $33 million in prize money on the PGA Tour.

2016: Continued Success

In 2016, Jason Day continued his exemplary play, winning three tournaments including The Players Championship, and nearly defended his PGA Championship, finishing in solo second place by one stroke, and would spend the last 40-consecutive weeks of the season ranked No. 1.

2016: Players Championship Win

In 2016, Jason Day won the Players Championship by 4 strokes.

January 2017: Nike Sponsorship

On 1 January 2017, Nike announced that Jason Day was joining Nike Golf ahead of the SBS Tournament of Champions at Kapalua the following week. He will wear Nike clothes, shoes and gloves. Day was known to have the RBC logo on the collar of his shirts, but because Nike does not allow other sponsorships to be seen on their apparel, his sponsorship contract with RBC was not renewed. He continues to wear the Lexus logo on the left sleeve of his shirts, as he previously did before using Nike apparel.

September 2017: Split with Caddie

On 13 September 2017, Jason Day split from his caddie of 11 years – his entire professional career – and 'father figure' Colin Swatton. Swatton would remain as his swing coach.

June 2019: Day Caddied by Steve Williams

In June 2019, it was reported that Steve Williams, Tiger Woods' former caddie, was caddying for Jason Day and had a dominant role in their relationship, directing Day's actions. Following an even par round at the Travelers Championship, Day went to the range at Williams' request and subsequently shot a 63 the next day.

August 2019: Parting Ways with Steve Williams

After missing the cut at The Northern Trust in August 2019, Jason Day and his caddie, Steve Williams, ended their partnership, citing a 'disconnect between old school and new school'.

October 2019: Victory at The Challenge: Japan Skins

On 21 October 2019, Jason Day won The Challenge: Japan Skins, defeating Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Hideki Matsuyama.

May 2023: Victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson

In May 2023, Jason Day won the AT&T Byron Nelson by one shot, marking his first victory in five years. He also finished runner-up at the 2023 Open Championship, completing the "runner-up grand slam," having finished as runner-up at every major championship.

2023: Comeback Year

In 2023, Jason Day recorded a comeback year, winning the AT&T Byron Nelson, the site of his first win, finished T2 at the British Open, and returning to the world's top-20.