As the weekend approaches, the 2025 Masters leaderboard is stacked with big names, and Jason Day is right in the mix—unfazed by the star power around him.
Heading into the third round at four under par, Day trails leader Justin Rose by four strokes, with heavyweights like Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, and Scottie Scheffler ahead of him.
Despite never having claimed a Masters title, Day brings a wealth of experience at Augusta National—arguably more than most of his competitors. And on Friday, he didn’t hold back, delivering a clear message to anyone ready to call the tournament too early.
Jason Day’s Masters message
After carding a 70 in the second round, Jason Day spoke with reporters at Augusta. When asked what lessons from his 14 Masters appearances give him confidence heading into the weekend, he pointed to a well-known reality about this tournament: it’s often won—or lost—on the back nine of Sunday’s final round.
“Just get yourself into contention on the back side [on Sunday]. Anything happens on the back side,” Day began on Friday.
“Obviously there’s proof of certain people or individuals that have struggled on the back side and certain guys that have played well on the back side and won, too,” Day began.
“I’m not going to name names because obviously that might bring up memories of people.”
Day didn’t sugarcoat it—and history backs him up. His honest take is exactly what fuels his belief that he could become just the second Australian ever to win the Masters. The key? Putting himself within reach by the time Sunday evening rolls around.
“Get through tomorrow. I know it’s going to be tough, but get the opportunities, try and capitalize on them and then get myself into contention on the back nine on Sunday,” Day said of his plan.
Recent Masters Sunday collapses
Since the Masters began in 1934, Sunday pressure has broken even the best, and some of this year’s contenders have already felt that sting firsthand.
Take Jordan Spieth. Though he captured a green jacket in just his second appearance in 2015, his follow-up in 2016 was a heartbreak. Spieth held a commanding five-shot lead heading into the second nine on Sunday—another win looked inevitable. But then came the infamous collapse at the par-3 12th, where he put two balls in the water. Within an hour, the lead—and the tournament—slipped through his fingers. That meltdown was the most dramatic, but not his only stumble on Masters Sunday.
This year, though, Spieth is 10 shots back heading into the third round, so he’s unlikely to be a factor for Jason Day. Rory McIlroy, however, is another story.
McIlroy’s struggles at Augusta are well documented. It’s the one major missing from his resume, despite several close runs. The most painful came in 2011, when he led by four shots heading into the final nine holes. A triple bogey at 10, followed by a double at 12, sent everything spiraling. Fourteen years later, he’s still chasing that elusive green jacket.
Even this week, Rory showed signs of unraveling. On Thursday, he was cruising at four under before two late double bogeys dropped him back to even par.
Jason Day’s Masters history
Jason Day tied for second in that same 2011 Masters—his debut at Augusta—finishing well ahead of McIlroy, whose collapse is still talked about today.
He followed it up with a third-place finish in 2013, and then a T10 in 2016, just a year after his major breakthrough at the 2015 PGA Championship.
In 2019, when Tiger Woods made his iconic comeback to win his fifth green jacket, Day was in the mix again, finishing tied for fifth. But his momentum faded in the years that followed.
Ongoing injury issues took a toll on both his form and his Masters record. He missed the cut in 2020 and 2021 and didn’t compete in 2022.
But the past couple of seasons have marked a resurgence for Day. In 2023, he snapped a five-year winless streak with a victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson—his 13th PGA Tour title. That same year, he also tied for second at The Open, showing he still has what it takes on golf’s biggest stages. His Masters finishes have been trending upward too: T39 in 2023, and T30 in 2024.
Now, he’s positioned for yet another strong showing. The question is: can he capture his second major title, a decade after his first? As always at Augusta, the answer will come on the back nine come Sunday.
