Jason Day Back Surgery: A Detailed Look at the Golfer’s Procedure and Road to Recovery

As a kid who escaped an almost certain future at a meatpacking plant, Jason Day was plenty tough. He has climbed the mountain, stared down and liked the view — but now, as 35th-ranked in the world, he is desperately trying to make it back up.

He has to if he wants to continue competing against the likes of Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and others who are threatening his place at the top of the game’s rankings. It has been a bumpy ride, but Day is slowly making headway. He’s playing more regularly, is finishing better and is putting together some impressive performances in the majors.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — He hasn’t won a tournament since 2015, but on Sunday morning Jason Day was feeling a lot more like the player who once dominated the PGA Tour. During the first round of the Masters, Day shot a nine-under 62 to take a two-shot lead over Austin Eckroat and Si Woo Kim. And he did it in the most unlikely of ways: by chipping in for birdie on the par-3 17th.

The moment is one that’s not lost on Day, who was asked about it afterward. “I was a little surprised,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting to play that well.”

It was an incredible bogey save from Day, who had been in the middle of a disastrous start at Augusta National and was trailing by five shots after 14 holes. But the bogey save triggered an emotional response that helped him erase his frustrations, dig deep and find a way to victory.

While his putting and approach play are the most recognizable parts of his game, the key to Day’s success is the stability of his lower back. In March of 2020, he underwent a procedure called a rhizotomy to ease the back pain that had been plaguing him. It involves cutting a nerve that runs from the spinal cord to the muscles, and it has been shown to reduce pain and muscle spasms.

When he teed it up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month, Day knew his back would be a factor. But he also knew that if he didn’t push himself to the limit, he wouldn’t be able to compete with the likes of Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler who are chasing him for the No. 1 ranking in the world.

He has learned to turn a deaf ear to the naysayers, and that was never more evident than during the Masters. Day will tee it up again on Friday and, if his back holds up, he could win his first green jacket in three years. He has his best chance ever to do it at a course that has been cruel to the game’s biggest names over the years. He just has to believe it will happen this time.