Jason Day, the 2016 winner of THE PLAYERS Championship, was forced to withdraw from this year’s tournament at TPC Sawgrass before teeing off in the first round due to illness. It’s a disappointing development for fans of the Australian golfer, especially considering his strong start to the 2025 season.

Day’s career peaked between 2015 and 2016, during which he captured eight PGA TOUR titles, including the 2015 PGA Championship and THE PLAYERS in 2016. His win at TPC Sawgrass nine years ago remains one of the most dominant performances of his career, securing the title with a commanding four-shot lead and reinforcing his status as the world’s top-ranked golfer at the time.

During that era, Day was one of the most formidable players in professional golf. He recorded five consecutive top-10 finishes in major championships and held the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking for a total of 51 weeks — a rare achievement in the modern game. However, recurring injuries and inconsistent play gradually caused his performance to decline in the years that followed.

Recently, Day has shown signs of a resurgence. After several years of battling health and form issues, his play has steadily improved since the 2023–2024 season. In the early part of 2025, he posted some of his best results in years:

• Tied for 3rd at The American Express

• Tied for 8th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week

These promising results had fans hopeful for another strong showing at TPC Sawgrass, the site of one of his most memorable victories. Unfortunately, his withdrawal due to illness is another setback in a career frequently disrupted by health issues. It’s especially disappointing this time, as Day appeared poised for a potential return to glory.