Australian Native Discusses His Troubled Childhood; How He Almost Quit Golf; His Rise to the Top; and the Importance He Places on Family
VIDEO: Day Discusses his Initial Introduction to Golf and First Set of Clubs
VIDEO: Why Day Nearly Quit Golf Prior to First Masters Appearance in 2010
ORLANDO, Fla. (March 24, 2016) – Poised to become one of the most emotion-evoking episodes in the six season history of the series, current No. 2 player in the world and native Australian Jason Day will join David Feherty for a new episode of Feherty that will premiere on Monday, March 28 at 9 p.m. ET on Golf Channel. Shot in Palm Springs, Calif., the 28-year-old major champion opens up about the unique path he has taken to the top of the game (ascending to the No. 1 player in the world last fall), touching upon:
- His troubling childhood, and learning to cope with his “abusive drunk” father – Alvin – who first introduced the younger Day to golf at age 3, and who later would motivate him on the golf course through fear of physical and verbal abuse.
- Turning to anger and alcohol at age 11, and soon after, at the wishes of his father following his death, enrolling in a prestigious golf academy where he would meet Colin Swatton. In addition to his current role as Day’s caddie, Swatton became a true father figure and a trusted confidant to Day.
- What led to his decision to almost quit golf prior to his first Masters appearance in 2010
- The priority he places on family, as a husband to his wife Ellie and a father to his children Dash and Lucy.
Record viewership for Season Six of Feherty
Season six of Feherty got off to a hot start with the two-part season premiere featuring World No. 1 Jordan Spieth. The premiere of Part I drew 325,000 avg. viewers per minute on a Live+Same Day basis, and the Part II premiere saw 351,000 avg. viewers, becoming the second and third most-watched Feherty premieres in the history of the series (2011-’16, trailing only the series premiere with guest Lee Trevino coming off U.S. Open week in 2011 – 368,000 avg. viewers).
Upcoming Guests on Feherty
Other guests scheduled to join Feherty in 2016 include Pro Football Hall of Famers, running back Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Cris Carter; Emmy-winning NBC Sports personality Bob Costas; long-time golf analyst Peter Oosterhuis, who in 2015 announced his ongoing battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s; six-time Solheim Cup participant and women’s major champion golfer Paula Creamer; legendary play-by-play voice and “Mr. Baseball,” Bob Uecker; and former NBA all-star and head coach Doug Collins.
An Emmy-nominated television host, Feherty is described as “a smart, funny wild card whose cult celebrity is transcending the sport,” by Rolling Stone, and as “the last unscripted man on TV” by Men’s Journal. He has made a name for himself not only through his self-titled Golf Channel talk show, but as one of the most irrepressible personalities calling golf over the past two decades. A native of Northern Ireland and a former professional golfer who claimed 10 worldwide victories and a spot on the 1991 European Ryder Cup team, Feherty is now a proud American citizen who has risen above a history of alcoholism and addiction to become – in addition to his role as a television host – a New York Times best-selling author and a source of comedic relief for thousands of men and women in uniform.
-NBC Sports Group-