Jason Day has received a major boost on the eve of the Masters with US doctors confirming his mother does not need chemotherapy for lung cancer.
The Australian world No.3 appeared a new man in his media conference at Augusta National on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT), grinning from ear-to-ear as he revealed mum Dening's surgery to remove a 3.5cm tumour in her lungs last month was successful and she has avoided chemotherapy treatment.
"The news is really, really exciting. (Cancer) is a very painful thing to watch a loved one go through, but we're very pleased to be able to get through this stage and hopefully she can live a very long life," Day said.
The 29-year-old Day admits the emotional stress of his mum's diagnosis had affected his lacklustre results in 2017, during which he lost his 47-week reign as world No.1 to Dustin Johnson.
But the Queenslander said his typically intense focus had returned in bucketloads.
"I feel like (the news) takes a lot of pressure and a huge weight off my shoulders. The swing feels amazing, so does the short game, and I feel like I have more touch in my hands," he said.
"I'm refreshed; I can actually get back to focusing on golf."
Day, whose near misses in six previous Masters include a runner-up, third and 10th-place last year, is confident he can achieve a lifelong dream of winning the Masters green jacket.
And should he become the second Australian winner at Augusta after Adam Scott in 2013, Day said the emotion would dwarf his maiden major title at the 2015 US PGA Championship.
"I think you could multiply that by a hundred; I was very emotional when I won my first major, because I knew how hard it was," Day. said
"But there are two things in my life -Tiger Woods and Augusta National - is why I play golf. And this is my favourite week of the year. It always is. To be able to do it this week would be great."
