Why Jason Day has turned down being a vice-captain at the Presidents Cup after he was asked

Geoff Ogilvy has revealed that Jason Day has turned down the opportunity to be a vice-captain at the Presidents Cup later this month, with the Australian keen to instead focus on his recovery from a back injury.

Day was the biggest name to miss out on being named on the International Team ahead of the 2026 Presidents Cup.

The 38-year-old had finished 11th in the qualification standings. However, he was not one of the six players Ogilvy named as captain’s picks for Medinah last week.

Day had endured a nightmare end to the season, withdrawing from the US Open and missing the cut three times in his last five starts. So it was no surprise that it turned out that the 2015 PGA Championship winner was dealing with an injury.

Day has had back problems previously in his career. So it is a real shame that he will miss this year’s Presidents Cup.

However, Ogilvy still wanted the veteran to be involved in Illinois. Speaking to Fox Sports, the International captain confirmed that he had offered Day the chance to join the backroom team.

“I actually asked Jason if he would like to and he said he’d rather focus on his rehab of his back,” he said.

“So, I certainly thought he could bring a lot of value to the team because of his experience and who he is.

“But yeah, he’s just chosen to look after himself, which is good, as he should. He needs to get himself squared away.”

Of course, if Day is dealing with discomfort, then it makes a lot of sense for him to turn down Ogilvy’s offer. The Presidents Cup can be gruelling for everyone involved, with five rounds of golf over four days.

But it was a smart move from Ogilvy to at least offer him the chance.

Day has not always had the best relationship with the Presidents Cup, having not been overly bothered about playing in the event earlier in his career.

The International Team needs to build upon the foundations that have been put in place over the last decade. It is good to see Trevor Immelman involved again as a vice-captain, while Adam Scott is probably going to continue playing for several more years at this rate.

A lot of players on the International Team will look up to Day given that he is a major champion and former world number one.

So it would have been beneficial to have him within the team room, particularly as he could well be a captain in the next 10 years.

Day will hopefully still play a part in supporting the Internationals at Medinah. But he is clearly aware of how important it is that he recaptures some better form over the coming months.