The Masters: Jason Day thumbs up over fitness doubts

Jason Day has come close twice at Augusta before so could it be a case of third time lucky this week?

Well, the luckiest player won’t be slipping into a Green Jacket this week, the best player over four rounds will be.

And after his impressive victory at the WCG Matchplay earlier this year, Day’s Masters chances were being talked up by many.

However, we haven’t seen the 26-year-old Australian in action since due to a thumb injury which had raised the question of whether he is ready for this week.

“It’s fine,” Day said.  “I’ve had about six weeks off now.  I had a cortisone injection into it on Monday of last week, straight on top of the knuckle.  

“I had about a week off after the injection and everything’s been progressing nicely.  There’s no pain.  I’m taping it just as a precaution.

“It’s been frustrating for me because just coming off the WGC win at the Matchplay, I was playing some pretty good golf.  It was trending in the right direction going into Doral and the Florida Swing there. 

“Just something so small, it’s so frustrating, because everything else is fine, but you need your hands to grip the golf club, and every time it hurt when I swung the golf club, I would kind of flinch at impact and you just can’t compete against the best players in the world doing that. 

“So to get the cortisone injection into it, to be able to swing pain‑free now, is great.  I’ve been here since last Wednesday practicing and playing.  I’ve played 36 holes here over the last four days, and the hand’s coming up nicely.  I’m really looking forward to a nice, solid start.” 

I’ve just been shelling a lot of chip shots and bunker shots and doing a lot of putting and speed putting, because the short game is where you win tournaments Day, who finished tied 2nd in 2011 and 3rd last year, is not concerned about his lack of tournament action in the build up to Augusta.

He added: “Not really a concern.  I think I just need to tighten up a few things, just kind of get a little sharper with my tee shots.  I think I’ll be good.  But I took six, seven weeks off after coming back from Australia last year.  My first event of the year, which was Torrey, finished second there. 

“To me, personally, I think it’s the amount of work that I put into the game before the actual week starts, so the preparation is very huge for me.  

“I know that this week, you really need your short game, so I’ve just been shelling a lot of chip shots and bunker shots and doing a lot of putting and speed putting, because the short game is where you win tournaments, especially this tournament, you need that.  Preparation was huge before Torrey and it’s huge now.”

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