Former world No.1 Jason Day will return home for the first time in seven years to tee up in the BMW Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane.
As first revealed by Australian Golf Digest in this month’s cover story, Day will tee it up Royal Queensland from November 21-24. It is unlikely Day will remain in Australia for the Open in Melbourne the next week, to be held at Kingston Heath and Victoria golf clubs from November 28 to December 1.
Cover star Day, now based in Ohio and a 13-time PGA Tour winner, opened up on becoming nostalgic about Australia now that he’s reached his late 30s. Day, 36, has only played in Australia twice in the past 11 years: in 2013 – when he won the World Cup of Golf and competed at the Australian Open – as well as the 2017 Australian Open at The Australian Golf Club.
“I can’t believe it’s been seven years; it’s gone by too quick,” Day told Australian Golf Digest in August. “I’m planning on coming home this year because I haven’t been home in a while and my kids haven’t been to Australia. It’d be nice to be able to take my whole family and show them where I’m from. If I play the PGA, it’s not too far away from Beaudesert. I’ll take the family to ‘Beau-ey’.”
World No.33 Day’s presence will be a boost for the PGA, which has enjoyed much success at Royal Queensland with British Open champion Cameron Smith taking out the 2022 edition and Min Woo Lee the year after. The event has recently also welcomed BMW and Rolex as partners.
Day has not played the Australian PGA since 2011, when he finished T-9 at Coolum. But fresh off competing for Australia at the 2024 Olympics last month, Day and his Australia teammate in Paris, Lee, are the marquee names for the event that is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour. As Australia’s No.1-ranked player, Day finished T-9 at the Olympics and was an automatic selection in the International team for the Presidents Cup in Canada later this month.
Hailing from Beaudesert, an hour west of Brisbane, Day has enjoyed an illustrious career. It has been highlighted by a major win at the 2015 PGA Championship and career runner-up results at the other three slams. Day has also spent more than a year in total as world No.1 (2015/’16/’17). But he has never captured one of Australian golf’s biggest tournaments.
Day has posted five top-10s on the PGA Tour in 2024, continuing a career resurgence that saw him break a five-year win drought at last year’s Byron Nelson event in Texas. [The autumn series encore to the 2024 PGA Tour season gets underway this week in Napa, California.]
Lee, meanwhile, will try to defend the Joe Kirkwood Cup he won in dramatic fashion at RQ last year courtesy of a hole-out eagle during the final round.
“I’m excited to be coming back home to Queensland this summer to contest the BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland,” Day told media about his announcement. “Wearing the green and gold for Australia at the Olympics in Paris was an extremely proud moment for myself and my family and it will be very special to get back on home soil and play in front of the Aussie fans.”
PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman said Day was an exciting addition to this year’s BMW Australian PGA Championship field. “I know there will be thousands of golf fans who will keen to come out and see Jason play at Royal Queensland,” Kirkman said. “We’re delighted to welcome him back home and to see him challenge for his first Joe Kirkwood Cup.” Added Queensland Minister for Tourism and Sport, Michael Healy: “Jason Day is Australian golf royalty and to have him play in the 2024 BMW Australian PGA Championship is absolutely sensational.”
The Australian PGA is estimated to contribute $17 million into Queensland’s local visitor economy and has made a strong presence in Brisbane.
