Defending champion Jason Day has revealed he did not celebrate winning the CJ Cup Byron Nelson last year, even though it ended a five-year victory drought.
Day carded a brilliant closing 62 at TPC Craig Ranch 12 months ago to finish 23 under par, a shot ahead of Austin Eckroat and Si Woo Kim.
It was the former world number one’s 13th career PGA Tour title, but his first since winning the Wells Fargo Championship in 2018. Day’s first victory came at what was then called the HP Byron Nelson Championship in 2010.
There is always more to learn for @JDayGolf.
His victory last year @CJByronNelson was his first win in five years.
The 13-time TOUR winner has his eyes set on successfully defending his title in Texas. pic.twitter.com/7RZ4J5CuA2
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 1, 2024
“I didn’t celebrate,” Day said in a pre-tournament press conference ahead of his title defence.
“I typically don’t celebrate after a win, which is kind of weird. Kind of get home and I’m already exhausted. Yeah, typically go home and just rest up and just kind of reflect on everything.
“Five years is a long time between wins. Little too long if you ask me. But I don’t know, it was kind of strange. I had a lot of good finishes leading up to this event last year to win.
“I just knew something good was going to happen around the corner and obviously it did.
“I guess we live kind of in a fish bowl as players because we live week to week and then a person wins and then we’re talking about the next guy that wins and it goes on from there.
“Once the week happened, it was nice to be able to get that win after five years, but my mindset was pretty much quickly on to the next tournament.”
The next tournament resulted in a missed cut in the US PGA Championship, which Day won in 2015, and the 36-year-old also made early exits from the Memorial Tournament and US Open before securing an unwanted “runner-up grand slam” by finishing in a tie for second in the Open at Royal Liverpool.
So far this season Day has recorded three top 10s in 10 events on the PGA Tour and feels the work he has put in with coach Chris Como is about to pay dividends.
“In regards to my play, I hadn’t been that happy with it or that pleased with it,” he added.
“My short game has been great. Putting has been great. Off the tee has been great. The iron play has been kind of letting me down.
“So just working on a few things with Chris to try and like alleviate some of the stress and pressure that the iron play is putting on the rest of my game.
“I feel like I’ve kind of turned a corner now, which has been great.”