Updated at 9:29PM ET: Jason Day’s agent released the following statement:
“Jason was diagnosed to have suffered from Benign Positional Vertigo. He was treated locally by Dr. Robert Stoecker and Dr. Charles Souliere and is resting comfortably. His condition is being monitored closely and he is hopeful he will be able to compete this weekend in the final rounds of the U.S. Open. He wants to thank all who treated him at the Franciscan Medical Group and thank all of the fans and friends who have reached out to he and his family.”
Original story:
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – A demanding test turned dangerous on Friday for Jason Day as the Australian was finishing his round at the U.S. Open.
As Day made his way to the ninth green, his final hole of the day, he collapsed on the fairway and paramedics were called to the course to treat him for vertigo-like symptoms.
Day recovered enough to complete the hole, which he bogeyed for an even-par 70 that left him tied for 11th place at 2 under par, and was transported to a medical treatment center on property by an ambulance. (Click here for photo gallery)
“I thought he may have twisted his ankle, but soon after that it became apparent he was hurt,” said Justin Rose, who was paired with Day on Friday. “He’s been suffering from this for a while. You hate to see it in real life and in that moment it was sad to see.”
According to his wife, Ellie, Day has been dealing with these symptoms since 2010 and was forced to withdraw from last year’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the AT&T Byron Nelson last month for similar reasons.
“Jason is being treated on site at Chambers Bay after feeling dizzy near the end of his round. We will provide more information later today after getting through the medical evaluation process,” Bud Martin, Day’s manager with Wasserman Media Group, said in a statement.
On Monday at Chambers Bay, he was asked about his health and said he recently underwent three sleep studies for “severe sleep deprivation” and had blood tests and multiple MRIs on his head, back and neck that all came back negative.
“I have no idea what that was, other than I just may have been exhausted,” Day said. “I think I just ran out of gas and I wasn’t feeling good, so I had the shakes and the tingling up my arms.”
Day seemed fine throughout his round and it wasn’t until he collapsed on No. 9 that there was any indication something was wrong.
“It wasn’t mentioned by him earlier in the round to me,” said Jordan Spieth, who was also paired with Day on Friday. “I don’t think it was a slip off of the ground. I think it was maybe a little dehydration or something.”
