Torrey Pines, California …

While the Australian nation were in the beds sound asleep after a day of celebration, Jason Day was set to end Australia Day along the Pacific Ocean shoreline of California with his feet up and an ice pack on his injured back.

Despite the on-going concern for his back, Day managed to muscle his way into a share of sixth place on seven-under par and just four shots adrift of American Ryan Palmer who heads the $US 6.9m event on 11-under par.

The Queensland-born Day celebrated Australia’s national day – January 26th – with the lowest score of anyone over the two days in signing for an eight-under par 64 for his seven-under par and with Day birding four holes in succession from his sixth hole on the North Course.

It was Day’s lowest round since a similar 64 nearly 12 months ago and on day two of the AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and with Day eventually sharing fifth place.

Jason Day set to end Australia Day with is feet up but with an ice pack on his injured back

Day’s Torrey Pines effort was nine strokes fewer than his opening round of 63 while he heads the ‘Down Under’ contingent by two strokes from fellow Queenslander Cameron Smith who added a 68 to his opening score of 71.

“Well, the positive out of yesterday, I made five birdies on the South course, which is they’re tough to come by,” he said.

“If you can make some opportunities and capitalize on them, which I did, I just mixed it in with some rust, some errors.

“Standing in the middle of the fairway on two of the shots, make a double and a bogey, had a three-putt, there’s four shots straightaway that could have been better. It’s just doing the right shot instead of trying to take on a little bit more. So saying that, I just came out today and I was saying I just need to be a little bit more patient today and just let it come to me because obviously I think the North side is a little bit more gettable with regards to how the greens run. I think the greens run very true over there compared to what we have on the South with the poa annua.

“If you give yourself the opportunities out there, you can get the putter rolling, you can go low and I did that on the front side, which was nice.”

Day is also returning to competiton this week for a first time in seven weeks since letting slip victory with a shock closing day 73 to finish 5th in the Australian Open in Sydney.

And he was also asked what did he address most about his game in the time off from competition.

“Well, there was a number of things. Obviously button up the caddie situation, which I didn’t. Tried to get my buddy — the visa with my current caddie, he couldn’t get through. Then I tried another guy, he couldn’t get through. Then now I’ve got the third wheel on the bag and he’s doing all right now,” saying also with a smile on his face.

“Regardless of what — I mean, I did a lot of practicing last week, but my main goal was to try and drive it better, definitely improve the short game. The short game was poor, very poor last year, and also improve the putting. That’s what I did great when I — when I played well was all those three categories.

“And then obviously on top of that I think if I can hit more greens, give myself more opportunities, hopefully that can catapult me back up into the world rankings.”

But then it was this journalist who asked Day, and with some nine hours remaining in the USA of January 26th what he plans to day for the remained of Australia Day.

Day smiled again remarking:  “I’m going to lay on the ground with my legs up with an ice pack on my back. That’s pretty much it, unfortunately.”