Jason Day’s life reads like a rags to riches movie script, but more inspiring than his epic rise to fame is the love story between the Queenslander and his American wife Ellie, whose unwavering support has seen him achieve his dreams.
When Jason, 27, won the PGA Championship with a record-breaking 20 under par last week, there by his side with open arms and tears in her eyes was the woman whose love has kept him strong through some of his darkest days.
“I was trying to hold back tears, I couldn’t stop crying,” says Jason of his win. “I’ve been so close so many times at major championships, but just fallen short.”
This time, his wife wasn’t going to let him falter. Live-tweeting messages of support throughout the tournament, Ellie, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child – they’re already parents to 3-year-old son Dash – didn’t miss a beat.
“Yes! Looking good out there,” Ellie, 29, excitedly tweeted. “Crushing it,” reads another post.
Until finally, when Jason’s victory was in sight, the most telling tweet of all. “Yes yes yes.”
The popular young couple met ten years ago at a restaurant in Ohio where Ellie (nee Harvey) was working, but they only began dating two years later when they met again at a mutual friend’s party.
While they come from opposite ends of the world, Ellie grew up in Lucas, a town of 600 in Ohio and Jason grew up in Beaudesert, Queensland, they “fell for each other really fast” and tied the knot in a romantic barn ceremony in 2009.
So in love: Jason and Ellie tied the knot in 2009 and his wife has been a constant pillar of strength.
Since then, Ellie has not left Jason’s side. She travels with him from tournament to tournament in the family’s RV and walks with him to each hole during tournaments, along with their gorgeous son Dash.
It’s this unwavering support which has helped Jason triumph over tragedy. At the age of 12, he lost his father to cancer and began drinking, confessing he was an “alcoholic” and violent school boy, who got into many fist fights.
“My mum took a second mortgage out on the house, borrowed money from my aunt and uncle, just to get me away from where I was, to go to school, seven hours’ drive [away],” remembers Jason.
“We were poor. I remember watching her cut the lawn with a knife because we couldn’t afford to fix the lawnmower.”
Jason Day, son Dash and beloved wife Ellie celebrate after Jason wins the RBC Canadian Open in July.
Then in November 2013, Jason lost eight members of his family, including his beloved grandmother, when Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines and just this year collapsed on the golf course at the US Open with vertigo from an inner ear infection.
But through it all, Ellie was there – and he credits her for giving him the life he has and loves.
“Family comes first and golf is second,” says Jason, who is preparing to welcome his second child in November with Ellie. “It is important for me to be there for the birth…and share these special times with my family.”
Watch Jason talk about balancing his family and his soaring career in the player above
