Jason Day may be one of the most recognizable golfers on the PGA Tour, but away from tournament weeks, the 38-year-old enjoys a surprisingly simple routine.
In a recent interview with Heavy Sports, Day discussed everything from his partnership with TruGreen and a unique first pitch alternative at a minor league baseball game to life on his 300-acre property, the sports he played growing up in Australia and the lessons he’s trying to pass on to his five children.
While golf remains his profession, Day revealed that some of his favorite moments away from the course involve tractors, lawn mowers and spending time outdoors.
When Golf Meets Baseball
At the time of the interview, Day was scheduled to appear at a Hartford Yard Goats game on June 23 in Hartford, Connecticut, where he would have traded the traditional ceremonial first pitch for something much more fitting for a professional golfer: a pitch shot.
While that might sound easy for one of the best golfers in the world, Day admitted he was more nervous about that challenge than throwing a baseball.
“I’ve actually got a decent arm because I grew up playing cricket,” Day said. “I can throw a ball no problem. I can pitch really, really well with a club, but I’m kind of out of my element. I never really hit it to anyone.”
Day joked that hitting a pitch shot over water or a bunker in front of thousands of spectators doesn’t bother him nearly as much as trying to hit a golf ball directly to someone who has to catch it.
“But hats off to TruGreen for coming up with that idea, because I think it’s going to be a great one regardless of how it goes,” he said.
While the appearance ultimately will not come to fruition following Day’s withdrawal from the U.S. Open due to a back injury, the story offered another glimpse into the golfer’s personality and willingness to embrace challenges outside of tournament golf.
How Cricket Helped Shape His Golf Career
Long before becoming a major champion, Day grew up in Australia playing a variety of sports. While many American fans may not realize it, cricket was one of the biggest influences on his athletic development.
According to Day, children where he grew up typically gravitated toward either rugby league or cricket. He ultimately chose cricket because it felt closer to golf.
“You usually play sports growing up, just school sports,” Day said. “Back where I grew up, you either play rugby league or cricket. And I ended up choosing cricket because it was close to golf.”
Ironically, Day wasn’t known for his batting ability. Instead, he excelled as one of his team’s opening bowlers, the cricket equivalent of a starting pitcher.
“I hit a golf ball decently well, but when it comes to batting in cricket, I’m terrible,” Day said. “I’m always the last person to come in because they usually put the bad batters in the back. But I was one of the opening bowlers for my team. I always had a lot of heat on my ball, so I was fast.”
Looking back, Day believes playing multiple sports helped him develop the coordination and athleticism that eventually translated to golf.
“I actually think the more sports you play as a kid, the better it is for the sport that you’re trying to get into,” Day explained. “Whether that’s playing tennis, cricket or other sports, you’re working on hand-eye coordination and athletic ability.”
The veteran golfer remains a strong believer that young athletes should participate in multiple sports rather than specializing too early, even if balancing those commitments can be challenging for parents.
“Every sport has some sort of crossover to my professional sport, which is golf,” Day said. “I think the more you play sports as a kid growing up, the better.”
The Parenting Advice He’s Giving His Kids
Day’s passion for sports extends well beyond his own career.
The five-time PGA Tour winner recently shared a story about attending one of his son’s baseball games shortly after the two had spent time practicing golf together. While the game itself didn’t go as planned, it provided an opportunity for one of the parenting lessons Day values most.
His son’s team lost, and the youngster was especially disappointed after missing out on the game’s Most Valuable Player award.
“He was pretty bummed after it,” Day recalled. “He was bummed because they give MVP awards for the most valuable player after every game.”
Rather than focusing on the result, Day used the experience as a teaching moment.
“I told him, you just got to keep working hard,” Day said. “Sometimes things don’t work out and you just got to keep busting your butt. And at some point the work that you put in, it’ll translate over and you’ll end up getting the award.”
Day understands as well as anyone that success rarely comes without setbacks. That’s why he believes losses can be just as important as victories, especially for young athletes still learning how to handle adversity.
“Losses like that as a kid is hard because it’s heartbreak,” Day said. “But there’s valuable lessons in losses.”
Why Mowing 300 Acres Helps Him Relax
The Australian star owns a 300-acre property roughly 45 minutes from his home and frequently escapes there to mow large sections of land. While some people might view that as work, Day sees it as a way to disconnect from the demands of professional golf.
“I do a ton of mowing, which is great,” Day said. “I have 300 acres up north and I go up there and I’ll mow just to turn my mind off because my mind is always constantly going.”
Day explained that mowing provides a rare opportunity to focus on a single task and tune everything else out.
“It clears my mind,” he said. “I can’t focus on anything other than that. I’ll just do it for hours on end because, obviously, there’s a lot of land to be mowing up there, but it’s a lot of fun.”
The property is also part of a larger family project. Day revealed that he and his family purchased the land a few years ago and have already put significant work into preparing it for the future.
“We purchased the land about two and a half, three years ago,” Day said. “I’ve put up four miles of fencing, which is insane. It’s a lot of fencing.
“At some point we will end up having cows and chickens and all that sort of stuff, which is going to be fun. My kids want all this stuff, and I love that. I grew up on a farm back home in Australia, so I kind of like that.”
Day joked that his love for mowing existed long before his partnership with TruGreen.
“It’s funny that we’re talking about it,” Day said. “It’s funny. It’s like a segue into TruGreen stuff, but I actually really do.”
That authenticity is one reason Day has become a natural fit for TruGreen, which recently extended its partnership with the PGA Tour through 2029. As part of the collaboration, Day joins fellow PGA Tour players Ben Griffin and Patton Kizzire in the company’s “Pros Trust Pros” campaign, highlighting the connection between championship-level course conditions and professional lawn care.
Jason Day Opens Up About Family, Farming and Life Beyond the PGA Tour