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By Dan Rapaport
Adenil “Dening” Day, mother of major champion and 12-time PGA Tour winner Jason Day, passed away Wednesday evening alongside her family in Ohio after a five-year battle with cancer. She was 65.
“Last night, my mum peacefully left us,” Day, who withdrew from this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational to be by his mother’s side, wrote on Instagram. “We are heartbroken but incredibly grateful for the gift we had in her living with us for the last almost two years full-time.
She fought so hard until the very last breath. I am forever indebted to her for the sacrifices she made for me to be successful, and for the person she helped me to become. We will miss her so much.”
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Dening Day raised Jason as a single mother after his dad died from stomach cancer when Jason was only 12. Dening was first diagnosed with stage 4 non-small-cell lung cancer in 2017, and Jason emotionally broke down about what was happening during a press conference at the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship. “It’s been really hard to play golf lately, this year,” Day said at the time, withdrawing from the event. “I just need some time away with her.”
Doctors gave Dening one year to live, but a March 2017 surgery improved her prognosis significantly, and she remained a crucial part of her son’s life. Day has been open about the impact her diagnosis has had on his psyche and his play.
“My mom having cancer, I definitely need to keep improving myself as a person and trying to get better,” Day said in 2019. “The distractions that have happened with my mother the last couple of times, that’s something that I’m going to prioritize as No. 1—more than golf—to make sure things are taken care of.”
Day, 34, resides in the Columbus area with his wife Ellie and their four children. He is eligible for next week’s Players Championship but it is unclear whether he plans to play.
