There is controversy surrounding Jason Day, with fans believing he isn’t “worthy” enough to represent Australia alongside Min Woo Lee since he hasn’t played there in over eight years. However, exploring the golfer’s ethnic background reveals some surprising details. What are they?

Day’s father, Alvin Day, was of Irish-Australian descent, while his mother, Dening Day, was of Filipino descent. However, Day’s father suffered from stomach cancer and, sadly, passed away when Day was only 12 years old. His mother passed away in 2022, also succumbing to cancer. Likewise, 11 years ago, during Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, Day tragically also lost eight of his family members. His grandmother was among his relatives who passed away in the aftermath of the disaster.

The golfer was born in Australia and holds Australian citizenship. However, he also has Filipino heritage thanks to his mother. In 2013, he openly spoke about his ethnicity and said “For me, being half-Australian, half-Filipino, after something like that happens, you tend to bend towards that way. But I [also] know that this is a big week for Australia and for us to really represent Australia well,” after the typhoon tragedy, as revealed on the Sydney Morning Herald website.

The golfer is currently fulfilling his patriotic dream at Le Golf National and sitting at 10th with a total of 204 13 under par. It’s evident that he had a challenging life growing up but still made it to professional golf and made a name for himself. However, what about his golf journey? How did he start playing golf?

Jason Day started playing golf at boarding school

Day was born in the small rural town of Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia. Although his father introduced him to golf at a young age, he didn’t play it for a while after his father passed away. While growing up, the golfer ran into some bad company. Concerned by what she witnessed, his mother sent him to Kooralbyn International School, a boarding school seven hours away from his hometown. The school had a golf course, and he resumed playing there under the guidance of Colin Swatton.

While playing golf, he won multiple junior and PGA titles and made a name for himself. Day turned pro in 2006 and joined the PGA Tour in 2008 following a successful amateur career. Coming to the year 2024, Jason Day now has 13 PGA Tour, and one major championship to his name. Besides, thanks to his wins and 56 top-5 finishes, the golfer is currently at #29 in OWGR rankings.

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