Day had been forced out after just eight holes during last fortnight’s final round of the BMW Championship after feeling ‘something go’ in his lower back when bending over to place his tee in the ground on the ninth hole at Crooked Stick in suburban Indianapolis.

However the Australian played down any long-time concern by also confirming ‘it’s not the first time that it’s happened’ ahead of teeing-up in this week’s PGA season-ending Tour Championship decider at the East Lake Club in suburban Atlanta.

Somewhere in this scrum is World No. 1 Jason Day. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

The stunning East Lake course was the boyhood course of Masters creator Bobby Jones and the clubhouse is a shrine to Jones’ memory.

This year’s event also is the 10th anniversary of the lucrative FedEx Cup Play-Offs finale where the winner of the Tour Championship is awarded a cheque for $US 1.5m and an additional bonus pool of $US 10m should they top the FedEx Cup standings.

Day is currently ranked fourth on the points standing with his FedEx Cup mission crystal clear – win the Tour Championship and he will be handed also the FedEx Cup.  If so, he would become the first Australian to win either the Tour Championship or the FedEx Cup.

But then fellow Queenslander Adam Scott, who is lying third and will be playing alongside Day in round one, will also be seeking to achieve that feat!

However, and as the 28-year old Day points out,  back issues had plagued him of late including going close to derailing him on route to victory earlier this year at the WGC – Dell Match-Play in Ausin, Texas.

Jason Day on the East Lake practice range today. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

“To be honest, I feel okay and I mean, it’s not the first time that it’s happened,” said Day.

“If it was the first time, then I’d be like, Oh, I’m really kind of worried about it. So I put the tee in the ground at the BMW Championship, and my back went out.

“Last time it went out, I changed a diaper. So it’s nothing where I go and physically make a move at it during a swing and my back goes out.

“It can happen from literally doing the smallest things — picking up a pillow, picking up something off the ground, or just moving the wrong way.

“I had a bulged disk in 2014. Through the exercise that I’ve been doing, that bulged disk, actually, with the MRIs I had in 2015 and 2016, last week as well, the bulged disk has actually come in, which is kind of a miracle because, actually, when you have that kind of symptoms, you’re thinking that it’s either going to stay the same or get worse.

“Fortunately for me, they’ve come back in, the disk has actually come back in.

“Unfortunately, I’ve got an annulus tear in my disk, annulus tear of the ligament. So I retore it. I’ve torn it once before, and I’ve retorn it again.

“But then I have been back to practicing the last two days and I’m just trying to ease my way back into it, but the back isn’t an issue right now.

“It just happens. It’s like you’ve got to do the small exercises. It’s like brushing your teeth every morning. It’s that I like them. I just have to do them because it’s part of my daily routine now.”

MEANTIME – Day could still be switching to wearing Nike attired despite confirming he was remaining with TaylorMade, the equipment company that he has been with since turning pro 10 years ago.

“I am renewing with TaylorMade as I’ve been them for 10-years, since I turned professional.  It’s been amazing,” he said.

As for clothing, caps and footwear Day said:  “On the apparel, shoe side, I don’t have anything to share right now. but I’m really excited about the future.

“That’s all I have to kind of say right now on that.”