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DEUTSCHE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP

September 3, 2015

Jason Day

Norton, Massachusetts

JOHN BUSH: We'd like to welcome Jason Day into the interview room. He's currently No. 1 in the FedExCup and he enters the Deutsche Bank Championship having won three of his last four starts on Tour, including our first FedExCup playoffs event, the Barclays last week.

Jason, what a stretch you're on. If we could get some comments from you.

JASON DAY: Yeah, it's been quite a run. Yeah, I don't know, it's been amazing for me just to see how this summer's kind of unfolded. But it was a good start to the FedExCup playoffs the last week with the win. I'm looking forward to another good week this week.

JOHN BUSH: You're at a golf course where you've had some success. You're making your 8th start here at the Deutsche Bank Championship, you finished runner up in 2010, and then T-3 in 2011. Talk a little bit about how this course suits your game.

JASON DAY: Yeah, the course, I love obviously coming back up here. It's a beautiful place. The people are fantastic. The crowds are great. The golf course, for some reason fits my eye. So when you put all that together you start to feel a lot more comfortable out here. And then once our comfortable out here and you have a good game plan, as long as you stick to it you can get up there pretty quick. And obviously back when I finished I think T-2 Charley Hoffman shot 9-under that day to beat me. It's just a good set up for me.

So I like last week's venue and I like this one even more. I've just got to go out there and play some golf.

Q. A question for you, John, did you know that about Jason's record here or did you look it up before you came in?
JOHN BUSH: I'm not taking any questions, Doug.

Q. Jordan said he thought you were No. 1 in the world right now, do you believe that?
JASON DAY: From the rankings, no. But the way it is, it's A two-year roll over for a reason. I honestly believe I'm playing some good golf right now. But like Rory coming back, and Jordan coming back, to be honest, I wouldn't -- I can't say that I am because it just wouldn't feel right because you can't look at the World Rankings and go, yeah, I'm the best player in the world but I'm ranked third in the world right now. The play that I've been doing over the last six, seven weeks has been great. But they're there for a reason, the average is there for a reason. So I've just got keep playing well and hopefully get my name there up at the top of the World Rankings.

Q. You said last week this is the best you've played. Is this the most confident you've ever felt before?
JASON DAY: Oh, by far, by far. It's this feeling of I know where the golf ball is going. The synergy between me and Colin has been fantastic. The communication has been off the charts. The discipline for me to go out there and not hit a shot until I'm ready, has been fantastic, as well. Just everything kind of put together. The health is good, except for I've got a little bit of a cold right now. The health is great. But overall you put everything aside I'm really comfortable with myself and I'm having a lot of fun on the golf course. When you're having a lot of fun and you're enjoying yourself out here everything -- it's a good combination to play some good golf.

Q. They said going in and out of confidence, continue that theme that you're talking about, there's no process anymore, it's see the shot, hit the shot. Talk about the confidence that now frees you up to play the golf?
JASON DAY: Actually funny enough talking about it yesterday because I was out here practicing late last night. And when you're kind of under the weather a little bit you want to go home. When you're back home and you're practicing in your off weeks the days that you have good practice sessions are fantastic. But the days that you want to go home early, you're just not ready for it, that's the days that set you up to win tournaments because you're sitting there, you want to go home, you want to quit, you want to go and relax. But the moment you keep pushing yourself through it and you get through that day of practice, that is -- that's when all those times that you look back when you win, when you look back, yeah, I put in the hard work. And it's those days that count the most, rather than the good practice days.

Knowing that, going to events like that, knowing that I put the hard work in and the way that I swing and the way that I feel on the greens, it just -- it gives you an extra boost of confidence knowing that I've worked very, very hard to get to here. To know that I put the work in and I'm going out there and trying to execute the shot. And on top of it it's just fun competing. It's really fun competing and playing. Before I looked at it differently. I thought it was really stressful to me to be in contention and competing. It's stressful, yes, but it's a fun stress. And it's a lot of fun doing or being in contention and trying to hit the right shots at the right time. It's addicting.

Q. Have you been following the story about Jarryd Hayne?
JASON DAY: Yeah.

Q. Are you hearing the noise back home as well if you go on and win this FedExCup and become world No. 1. There's a battle between you and Jarryd as to who's going to be Australia's top sportsman?
JASON DAY: What Jarryd has done, to come over here and play the way he's been doing, it's amazing.

Q. Jarryd Hayne is the Australian that's playing for the 49ers in the NFL.
JASON DAY: Yeah, but to be honest, to be able to come over and play a totally different sport than what you're used to, passing it backwards back home and passing it forward here, it's a little different here. It's a total different environment for him, as well. He's not used to -- he was a big fish back home. And over here he's fighting to get on the team. I'm not worrying about it right now, because I've got to focus on trying to play good golf. That's all I've got to focus on. At the end of the day winning the award would be fantastic, but if I have the opportunity to get to No. 1 this week, if I can win, mathematically that could put me in the No. 1 spot, if the other guys don't finish an outright second. That's kind of my main thought right now.

Q. Talked to Jordan earlier about being 22 and how he's still kind of learning being out here. It sounds like it took you a little while to kind of get comfortable out here, as well. Can you talk about that process a little, about how long it did take you and obviously I can go back to the British Open is when things started clicking in the right direction?
JASON DAY: Yeah, it's taken a while. It always took me a while in junior golf, it took me a while to feel comfortable. In amateur golf, and then professional golf. I didn't realize it was going to be this long. But it's like paying your dues almost and kind of learning the ropes of what to do and what not to do, being disciplined, staying patient. And just the experience that you learn over the years, because no matter what you do there's nothing that can really set you up. You can intensify your practice to where it may be similar to the golf course, but there's nothing you can do other than just experiencing what you've experienced, a major championship and failing and then trying to learn and get better from there. Because there would be times when I'd be going, to Colin, when Willy win again? Willy win again doesn't and I was asking the wrong question. It's not that, when will it happen. Yeah, it may happen tomorrow, it may happen next week. But it's just that I need to make sure I put in the work. And then once I put the work in and everything that I've been working towards, it's not about when Willy win, it's just when do I want it. And once that changed the mentality, I guess the mental side changed for me when I wanted it more. And I want to be No. 1 rather than just saying it. That changed the whole outlook of how I look at playing golf.

Q. When you're playing your absolute best, do you believe that there's anybody that can beat you?
JASON DAY: No, I don't think so. I mean granted, like if I'm playing my absolute best, like last week, no. On top of it trading texts back and forth between Tiger has happened a lot with that. It's hard because I honestly believe that, but it's hard to keep that going. Tiger blessed us with a lot of that are 10, 15 years ago. And he made it look so easy every week. And that's what I'm trying to shoot for. I'm just trying to -- right now I can't get too far ahead of myself. I can't be okay with okay and I can't be -- I can't get lazy, that's the thing. I already understand that if I don't -- everything's fantastic right now, I'm No. 1 in the FedExCup, No. 3 in the world. Everything is kind of moving up for me right now. So the moment that I start relaxing a little bit, that's when I'm going to go backwards and I can't afford that. I've just got to keep working hard, keep doing my little blueprint that I have right now, practice-wise and preparation-wise coming to events, that's what I need to do to hopefully stay the way that I am right now on the golf course.

Q. Putting the World Rankings aside for this, where do you put yourself in conversation with Rory and Jordan? And secondly, how high on the list is No. 1 in terms of goals for you?
JASON DAY: No. 1 is my No. 1 priority in life. I've always wanted to get to No. 1 in the world. If we put aside World Ranking -- Rory has -- Rory and Jordan, are the two I'm shooting for. I've won six times in my career, which is -- overall it's not a lot. But golf is a long career. I think I'm just a little bit behind them. I think with the way that I think I'm a little bit behind them makes me more hungry. Makes me hungry to go and try to catch them. And I'm okay with that. I'm okay with that. I'm okay with being a little bit behind them. It just goes to show that I need to keep working harder.

Q. Who do you think is the No. 1 golfer in the world right now?
JASON DAY: Rory, is that right, in World Rankings, Rory right now. I can't say I'm the No. 1 player in the world right now, I just can't do it. There's two guys ahead of me that have played phenomenal golf over the last years. I've played good golf, but I really played fantastic golf currently, just in the last seven weeks. The rankings are the rankings, and I couldn't go and say, no, I'm the best player in the world right now.

Q. Imagine getting text messages from Tiger Woods that has helped you. What has he said to you that helped your game?
JASON DAY: It's just random things. We'll be talking about like finishing on Sundays and the process of stuff. His text messages, I have to digest them a little bit more because he is very smart. And he has to kind of dumb it down to my level (laughter) man, you're saying these words, I've got to try to think them through. Yeah, it's been really cool. With my team and then on top of it he's been the best player for -- arguably one of the best players of all time, and it's just who wouldn't want that mentorship from a player like that, especially on the golf course. To be able to receive text messages and ask him questions and him being so open towards me has been fantastic.

Q. We just brought up your friend who plays football, and there's a lot of New England Patriots fans in this region. Are you a football fan, and are you relieved that Tom Brady's suspension was lifted -- vacated?
JASON DAY: I think everyone is buzzing here in New England, in this area, at least. I didn't really watch it too closely, but I know that it was -- everything has kind of gone back to normal now, and he's going to be coming back for the first four games, which is fantastic. It's tough. I didn't really watch it too closely. But to have Tom Brady come back and play, it's obviously exciting for everyone up here. It's going to be the talk of sports right now. As it should be, because it was a pretty big story back last year. It's going to be exciting to see how everything kind of goes for the New England Patriots for the first four games and beyond that.

Q. Do you know what deflategate is in Australia?
JASON DAY: Do they? Luke is nodding at me saying yes. I rarely keep up with the news back home. All of us over here are telling me that -- it's reaching down there, so it must be big.

Q. What kind of response have you had from your fellow players and the fans after your big victories the last few weeks?
JASON DAY: The fans have been fantastic. It's been great. Everywhere I go, especially the PGA win was huge for me. And everyone's been nothing but supportive. People are telling me that they were crying, as well, when I was crying. So that was pretty neat.

I think the most satisfying thing that I get is from my peers every time they come up. They actually are genuinely happy for me. They are so supportive. And that's what the neat thing is, is that -- I mean I think everyone knows how much the PGA Championship, winning my first major was important to me, but just to keep that going, and to have them come up the last few weeks and congratulate me, it's been pretty special. It makes you feel like you're doing the right things, not only on the golf course, but off the golf course around your peers. It's been satisfying.

Q. Ten years as a professional golfer now, but when you turned, you made a comment that you want to be the best player in the world, the No. 1 player in the world, you caught a lot of flak for that, which was unjust. You had a dream. You're now a win away from achieving that goal. How do you feel about how you got the criticism for telling everyone a dream, and now you're on the verge of obtaining it?
JASON DAY: I'm on the verge of it. It's been great. I'm not really thinking about it. I can't control what Rory and Jordan do. But I can control what I do out there. So if I go out there and win, but if they finish in a certain position, I might not get there. So right now I just want to focus on winning, because I really want to win the FedExCup, it would be great to win that. I did cop a little bit of slack over it, which is understandable. Any kid that wants to come out and say that and be the best, and obviously Tiger was kind of -- he was immortal at that time. But no one should tell you you shouldn't be dreaming of things that big. I mean no one should be -- it's tough, because you're a kid, and you may be a little more confident than you should be, but, still, when someone tells you you can't do something, you don't listen to them, you just keep doing what you need to do. Because now ten years later I have the opportunity of getting to No. 1. It's taken a while, but it's ten years later and I have the opportunity now and if I take it, great. But if not, then I'm still going to be shooting for it.

Don't listen to people tell you you can't do something, that's the main point I'm trying to get across.

Q. How do you like being grouped in this conversation with Rory and Jordan? How do you think you affect or influence each other?
JASON DAY: The Big Three, I guess everyone is saying, right? It's actually quite neat because -- it's hard because I always wanted to be a player like that, and I've never actually kind of thought about it. Over the years in my professional career I never thought that, yeah, you'd be up there and you'd be grouped with such caliber players such as Jordan and Rory. And I think it's kind of refreshing for the game of golf right now, the kids these day, especially Jordan and Rory, Rickie, all those guys, it's a very approachable kind of group of kids that you can easily be fans of, easily start becoming a lot more addicted to following golf, which is great.

I felt like back in the days, ten, 15 years ago, it was kind of harder to kind of approach the top players in the world. And I think with that, to be able to be in that trio, I guess, is neat. But I want to be on top of that trio. So that's what I'm shooting for. It's going to be tough for me to do that but it's going to be a lot of fun trying to top those guys.

Q. Totally away from golf. Have you turned into a Buckeye yet? I'm from there, Riverside Drive. And I just wonder if you've got the fever yet as a Buckeye yet?
JASON DAY: Yeah.

Q. Are you?
JASON DAY: I am, yeah.

Q. Good for you. Basketball games and football games.
JASON DAY: Football games, been to one basketball game with Michael Redd who used to play for Ohio State. And I try to catch some games this off-season, at least. I was just actually trading texts between Urban Meyer and myself, just wishing him good luck, because obviously everyone is kind of shooting for him right now and his team. But they look strong. Those three quarterbacks there that were trying to shoot for the No. 1 spot that can all play as starting quarterbacks anywhere else. So it's pretty special when you have that much talent. And they just, for some reason, the scouts there and Urban and his coaching has just been phenomenal for our state over the last couple of years.

It's going to be exciting to see how it goes.

Q. When I came over here I brought my button down shirt with the bow on it. I can't wear it over here, these people are weird over here in New England. Enjoy it.
JASON DAY: Thanks.

Q. The original Big Three, Arnold, Jack and Gary, which would you be, Arnold, Jack or Gary as far as style of playing?
JASON DAY: Who do you think?

Q. Arnold.
JASON DAY: Arnold? That's very nice of you, I appreciate that (laughter).

No, I wouldn't go -- I'd probably say I'd probably be more like Gary, maybe. Right now. Hopefully I win enough tournaments to be up there with Arnold or Jack.

It's funny to look at it that way. This is a total different era. Back then -- these are the guys that put golf on the platform that we're on today, those Big Three guys. Arnold changed the way we look at golf. He came out when TV came out and really made golf sexy, I guess you'd put it in a way.

Jack with his dominance. And then obviously Gary being a national player, and also dominant, made a lot of fun for golf to be watched. Hopefully we can kind of replicate that between me, Rory and Jordan over the next ten to 15 years, it would be fantastic to really kind of fight against each other, each week that we play against each other.

Q. You talk about the advice you got from Tiger. Did you have anything to offer him?
JASON DAY: No, I really don't. All we do is talk about golf. We talk about family every now and then, but it's mainly just golf just trying to shoot to get better because, hey, I think he's hungry right now. Obviously it's hard because he played pretty solid at the Wyndham, just had one bad hole at the Wyndham that kind of shut him out of the tournament. It was good to see that fire in his belly again. I think he's hungry right now. I just wish he had more tournaments to play, or got into the playoffs, because I think it would slowly start to change for him because he had good momentum going in.

But it's just the same old stuff. I just talk to him -- if I think of a question I'll just shoot it to him. I may hear it that day or I may hear in a day or two. But the guy's -- I don't know what he's doing at home, but he must be busy trying to practice and get ready for upcoming tournaments.

Q. Texts with Tiger and with Urban Meyer, who else, John Boehner, who else are you texting with?
JASON DAY: Obama (laughter.) Obama is texting me. He consults me on what he needs to do with the rest of the world.

JOHN BUSH: We'll wrap it up with that.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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