Jason Day: ‘I didn’t want to play after my mum’s cancer diagnosis’

Former world No. 1 Jason Day has admitted he “didn’t want to be on the golf course” this year following his mother Dening’s cancer diagnosis.

Already without a father from an early age, the Australian major-winner’s form has suffered since news earlier this year she might have had as little as 12 months to live.

A 3-4 cm mass was successfully removed from her left lung in March.

“My mum getting lung cancer was very difficult,” Day told reporters Tuesday ahead of this week’s CJ Cup in South Korea.

“I don’t have any grandparents. I don’t have my dad. I don’t have anyone. If I lost my mum all I would have would be my two sisters.”

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Published 8:37 AM EDT, Wed October 18, 2017

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Jason Day: Australia's golfing star

04:54 - Source: CNN

Ahead of the surgery, Day withdrew from March’s WGC Match Play event against Pat Perez after just six holes, breaking down in tears.

Dening had made the young golfer’s dream possible, steering him away from trouble in his teenage years and taking out a second mortgage on their house in Queensland to fund his place at a prestigious school.

Without her, Day stresses, there is no doubt he would not have made it to the top.

“Realizing how much she sacrificed for me growing up, it meant a lot to me to be there for her,” said Day, who invited his mother to stay with him at his family home in Ohio to facilitate her recovery.

“I didn’t want to be on the golf course. I knew that if she was going to die then I wanted to spend as much time as I could with her, because I only get to see her once a year.

“Fortunately the surgery went well and now I’m able to focus back on golf.”

READ: Tiger Woods gets green light to step up recovery

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What does it take to make Jason's perfect Day?

02:09 - Source: CNN

Burnt out

After a series of second-place finishes, Day finally secured his major tournament breakthrough at the PGA Championship in 2015

The 29-year-old held the world No. 1 ranking for a total of 51 weeks before being replaced by 2016 US Open champion Dustin Johnson.

But despite emerging victorious at eights events on the PGA Tour in the two years prior to his mother’s illness, he has been unable to win one since.

“It was a little bit of a combination of things why I had this poor season. I was a little bit burnt out from 2016 and 2015,” said Day.

“I didn’t know how to handle being number one. Next time I get there again I will handle it a little bit differently.

Justin Rose, England: current No. 1 —

Justin Rose is only the fourth Englishman to hold the world No. 1 spot. Here's a look back at the other 22 golfers to hold the world No. 1 ranking.

Brooks Koepka, US: 2 weeks at No. 1 —

Three major wins (US Open 2017, 2018; PGA Championship 2018).

Justin Thomas, US: 4 weeks at No. 1 —

One major win (PGA Championship 2017)

Dustin Johnson, US, 78 weeks at No. 1 —

One major win (2016 US Open)

Jason Day, Australia: 51 weeks at No. 1 —

One major win (PGA Championship 2015).

Jordan Spieth, US: 26 weeks —

Two major wins (Masters 2015; US Open 2015; British Open 2017).

Adam Scott, Australia: 11 weeks —

One major win (Masters 2013).

Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland: 95 weeks —

Four major wins (US Open 2011; British Open 2014; PGA Championship 2012, 2014).

Luke Donald, England: 56 weeks —

No major wins.

Martin Kaymer, Germany: 8 weeks —

Two major wins (US Open 2014; PGA Championship 2010).

Lee Westwood, England: 22 weeks —

No major wins.

Tiger Woods, US: 683 weeks —

14 major wins (Masters 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005; US Open 2000, 2002, 2008; British Open 2000, 2005, 2006; PGA Championship 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007).

Vijay Singh, Fiji: 32 weeks —

Three major wins (Masters 2000; PGA Championship 1998, 2004).

David Duval, US: 15 weeks —

One major win (British Open 2001).

Ernie Els, South Africa: 9 weeks —

Four major wins (US Open 1994, 1997; British Open 2002, 2012).

Tom Lehman, US: 1 week —

One major win (British Open 1996).

Nick Price, Zimbabwe: 44 weeks —

Three major wins (British Open 1994; PGA Championship 1992, 1994).

Fred Couples, US: 16 weeks —

One major win (Masters 1992).

Ian Woosnam, Wales: 50 weeks —

One major win (Masters 1991).

Nick Faldo, England: 97 weeks —

Six major wins (Masters 1989, 1990 and 1996, The Open 1987, 1990 and 1992).

Greg Norman, Australia: 331 weeks —

Two major wins (The Open 1986 and 1993).

Seve Ballesteros, Spain: 61 weeks —

Five major wins (Masters 1980 and 1983, The Open 1979, 1984 and 1988).

Bernhard Langer, Germany: 3 weeks —

Two major wins (Masters 1985, 1993).

The 22 top-ranked golfers: From Bernhard Langer to Justin Rose

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“I still worked very hard to get through that burnt-out stage. And then my mum got lung cancer.

“Hopefully the distractions that I’ve had on the golf course and off the golf course have gone away and I can focus on climbing back to number one.”