Jason Day’s ruthless streak will be on display at the WGC-Match Play Championship this week as he searches for the biggest win of his career.
World No.7 Day heads a six-man Australian contingent gathered at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club in Tucson, Arizona as 64 of the world’s golfers go head-to-head in the lucrative knock-out format where the champion pockets $US1.4 million.
Day gained some attention when he debuted in the event last year and readily discussed his hard-nosed tactics as he notched wins over Korean KT Kim and Englishman Paul Casey before falling to American JB Holmes.
He admitted to wanting to be first off the tee box after shots to ensure fellow competitors “were looking at my back” and also refused to concede short putts.
Now ensconced in the world’s top 10, the 24-year-old says he won’t be changing his approach.
“You can’t be too sensitive in match play,” Day said on Monday.
“You don’t go out and be a bad sportsman but you have to do everything you can to beat the guy.
“Being ruthless is just a different side of me that comes out in match play.
“When it means something like this, when it is a one-on-one test, I just seem to lift.
“At the end of the day it’s like a footy match. You beat each other up out there and then at the end of the game you shake hands and you can be best mates again.”
The Queenslander opens against Spain’s 15th seed Raphael Cabrera-Bello who held off Lee Westwood to win the recent Dubai Desert Classic.
He could then find himself against countryman John Senden before a potential match up against Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.
Senden plays Englishman Simon Dyson in the first round while the bracket also houses Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy who faces off against US PGA Champion Keegan Bradley in round one.
Ogilvy is one of the best match play golfers in the business and won this event in 2006 and 2009. He was also runner-up in 2007.
Fellow Australian Adam Scott faces England’s Robert Rock who went toe-to-toe with Tiger Woods and McIlroy to win the recent Abu Dhabi Championship.
Aaron Baddeley’s first up assignment is former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.
Other big names in his bracket include Steve Stricker, Graeme McDowell, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar and world No.4 Martin Kaymer who takes on Greg Chalmers in the opening round.
Day is a swashbuckling golfer who has the ability to put together a string of birdies but can sometimes come undone with a blow-up hole.
In this format a large number isn’t always critical as at worst you lose a hole and Day admits this could be an advantage for him.
“I am trying to be a lot more consistent but I guess it does suit me,” he said.
“The best thing in match play is to make as many birdies as you can.
“The consistent player can wear you out if you make too many mistakes but if you are making birdies then obviously you are hard to beat.
Three-time champion Tiger Woods is in the Sam Snead bracket, the only one without Australian representation, and he’ll potentially have to get past the likes of Westwood, Webb Simpson, Bill Haas, Nick Watney and Japanese superstar Ryo Ishikawa.
