MEN'S OLYMPIC GOLF COMPETITION

August 3, 2024

Jason Day

Le Golf National

Quick Quotes

Q. How do you sum up your roller coaster day?

JASON DAY: I wish I would have given it a little bit better this week. It's a little frustrating. I can't seem to get the ball in the fairway with the driver as much as I'd like to. I've been driving the ball pretty well up until the second part of the season, and it's just been a little off.

Funny enough, my iron play has been shocking this year and my iron play has been pretty good this week and I've matched that with some good putting.

To be honest, I just need to play the closing holes a lot better than I have. You play those a little bit better and you're right in the mix but still one more day to go.

Q. Have you found that this has meant more to you than you thought?

JASON DAY: Yes, by far, a lot more. Not only playing for your country and your teammates. The crowd has made it fantastic to be a part of it. Definitely feel honoured to be able to come here and represent my country. It's been a fun week. The dinners, team dinners have been tremendous and we had a lot of fun.

I was saying earlier to Rex that typically we are always constantly trying to win tournaments on the PGA TOUR. We look at the Money List and we look at what money we'd make. You don't earn anything this week. You're earning a medal, and I think that brings out something deep from whether it's when you're a junior golfer or amateur golfer that it means something more than just some money at the end of the day for us.

It's definitely opened my eyes to; I've thoroughly enjoyed representing something bigger than myself. That's been a complete honour to do that.

Q. What's the level of nervousness? How does it compare to playing in a major?

JASON DAY: Yeah, definitely feels like a major for sure, especially the crowd, standing on the first tee. I know the golf course is a tough one, and it would be really tough if we had stronger winds.

I think the way that they have prepared the golf course this week has been actually a lot of fun to play. I think it's been quite fair. And yeah, it's been -- I think with history as it grows, I think this might turn into something of a major, the feeling of a major.

It's really young, in its infancy. It just has to have some more history.

Q. Do you think we'll see some fireworks on the closing holes?

JASON DAY: Yeah, it's a little bit different, closing for a medal is a lot more difficult than just finishing on a Saturday.

I'm going to be pushing tomorrow. I need to try and win a medal. That's my goal. And then there's other guys that are kind of in the lead. They are going to be thinking a lot. There's a lot more pressure on them. It's totally understandable.

But there's a lot of stuff that can go wrong in those finishing holes. Fingers crossed I play those good tomorrow.

Q. As you make it back to Australia, the tournaments that they have there, do you feel like this experience this week helps reconnect you?

JASON DAY: Yeah, I don't know, I'm going to go at the end of this year. That's the plan. It's definitely reconnected myself with why I play the game and why I love the game so much.

Like I said, like ever since I was an 18-year-old kid, I didn't have a lot of money; it's always been about winning tournaments and making a lot of money. This week is not about that. It's more. It's about trying to prove if you're good enough to win a medal. There's only a small list of people that have won a medal here, especially in golf.

Q. How did you do with the crowd around you, and seeing that passion for Rory?

JASON DAY: It's easy for me to be out there because I'm like flying under the radar when it comes to Rory. He takes a lot of pressure with that. I think he thoroughly enjoys that.

But for me, like I've got to get stuck into my own game. I just focus on myself and add them up at the end of the day and hopefully they are a lot lower than my playing partners. Like I said, I've got one more day to go, so I'm looking forward to that.

Q. Does it compare The Open last year in terms of the atmosphere and the crowds?

JASON DAY: It's a totally different feel. I don't know how to explain it. There's a different fan base. It feels different.

Like you can tell that they are very patriotic. I just played in front of Victor, and you could hear them screaming around the whole golf course. It must be an absolute thrill to be a Frenchman or Frenchwoman playing and competing for your country here in the Olympics. I'm just hoping Brisbane comes around and I'm still young. That be would nice.