Injured Day pulls out of Phl charity tiff
World No. 1 Jason Day yesterday pulled out of the “Jason vs Rory: Battle for a Cause” golf charity event next month, citing a lingering back injury that has also forced him to withdraw from the Australian Open and the World Cup of Golf set later this month.
Dolphin Fire, the company organizing the exhibition match, and Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which brought Day and Rory McIlroy together for the event, said they are working on the next steps and will announce a replacement soonest.
Day and former No. 1 McIlroy were set to play at the Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club in Lubao, Pampanga on Nov. 29.
“We fully respect Mr. Day’s decision to withdraw from the match and we are one with his family, friends and fans in hoping for his recovery. We are working round the clock to determine a suitable replacement for Jason and give Filipino golfing fans a match they deserve,” said Dolphin Fire president and event director Miguel Bitanga.
The Filipino- Australian has expressed regrets over his withdrawal from the much-awaited exhibition match and for missing his trip to the Philippines but vowed to visit the country next year with her Filipino mother.
“I’m quite saddened about missing our trip to the Philippines,” said Day in a statement. “I was planning on taking my mom back to her home in the Philippines to visit where we lost members of our family in the typhoon.”
Day’s mother Dening hails from Tacloban, Leyte where they lost eight relatives, including his grandmother, during the devastation wreaked by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013.
“We are going to raise much needed funds for these worthy causes brought on by this disaster, and I look forward to being there in 2017 to help get this work done,” said Day, who tore a ligament in his back last month, forcing him to withdraw midway through the BMW Championship and from the PGA Tour’s final event in the season, the Tour Championship.
Day has also pulled out of the Australian Open at the Royal Sydney Golf Club set Nov. 17-20.