Jason Day is starting to dominate the way Tiger Woods used to

Has Day stepped out of Tiger's shadow?

Jason Day’s WGC-Dell Match Play victory saw him become the number one player in the world. The 28-year-old Australian will be hoping he can stay there for longer than the one week he managed last time he was in that position, and it would take a brave man to bet against him. 

Day overcame a bad back and arguably the best match play golfer in the world in the shape of Rory McIlroy to win the WGC-Dell Match Play, and his current form is ominously Woods-like for the rest of the Masters field as preparations for the year’s first major begin in earnest. 

Day’s win at the WGC-Dell Match Play was his second in as many weeks and his sixth victory in his last 13 starts. Day is taking this week off to allow his body to recover before heading to Augusta, meaning he’ll take that win rate into the Masters. The last golfer to take a run of form like that into the Masters was Woods himself, back in 2009. 

Day also has five other top-15s in his last 13 starts, with a missed cut at the Farmers Insurance Open and a T-23 at the WGC-Cadillac Championship the only blots on an incredible patch of form. Day had flu in the former and has never really settled at Doral, host venue of the latter. 

Day’s six wins date back to 29 July last year. In the time he’s notched six titles, no other player has won more than two. 

“I feel good,” says Day, who broke his major championship duck at the PGA Championship last year. “But I can’t get complacent with how I’m playing right now.”

Day is now the 8/1 favourite to win the Masters. With defending champion Jordan Spieth struggling for form and world number three Rory McIlroy still getting accustomed to a new putting grip, Day has a fantastic opportunity. 

“It would be great to win Augusta,” he says. “But I’ve got to make sure I get in and do the little things that count towards the big picture and that’s my prep in getting ready for that week. Rest and recovery next week is huge for me, because it has been a long week and a long two weeks.”

Day’s back troubles during the WGC-Dell Match Play made it look likely he’d have to withdraw, but he wasn’t keen on that idea.

“Four members of my team tried to talk me out of playing. I wanted to win so bad and I felt with how I was playing, if I kept playing the way I was, I would be holding the trophy at the end of the week.”

Now with that trophy safely in his cabinet, Day has just one thing on his mind for the next fortnight…

“Get down there Thursday and try and do the same old things, and hopefully pull out a win. It will be fun to walk through the gates as number one in the world.”

NEXT: Why doesn’t Jason Day shout “fore”?