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Day begins heavy preparation for Masters

Evin PriestAAP
Jason Day has changed his regular preparations for the Masters at Augusta National.
Camera IconJason Day has changed his regular preparations for the Masters at Augusta National.

Australian former world No.1 Jason Day will begin the heaviest Masters preparation of his career when he tees off at this week's US PGA Tour event in Las Vegas.

One month out from the Augusta National major, Day plans on playing three of the four US PGA Tour events before the rescheduled Masters begins on November 12.

The Masters is usually held in April but was postponed due to COVID-19.

Queenslander Day will contest the CJ Cup starting on Friday AEDT, an event usually held in Korea but which was moved to Shadow Creek GC in Nevada.

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Day is then slated to play next week's Zozo Championship - relocated from Tokyo, Japan to Los Angeles - and the Houston Open the week before the Masters.

A 12-time US PGA Tour winner, Day has never played that many tournaments in the month leading up to Augusta but insists it is needed this year.

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"I need to play a lot going into Augusta, because I need to get reps in and find some confidence in the game," Day told AAP from Las Vegas.

Day last year held a share of the 36-hole lead at the Masters and eventually tied fifth, two shots behind winner Tiger Woods.

Day tied for second on his Masters debut (2011) while he finished third behind fellow Australian winner Adam Scott at Augusta in 2013.

Day's search for confidence comes after a missed cut at last week's Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, also in Las Vegas, capped a poor trio of results.

He missed the cut at the US PGA Tour play-offs opener, the Northern Trust, then finished near last place at the BMW Championship.

Day hopes that by playing three of four tournaments before the Masters he can rediscover the form he enjoyed as recently as July and August.

The 32-year-old posted four consecutive top-seven results on the PGA Tour, including the US PGA Championship, where he had a final-round chance to win a second major to go with his 2015 win at that event.

"Overall, the foundation is there I just have to keep pushing for more if I want to be a contender at the Masters next month" Day said.

"I have played some really good golf since the PGA Tour resumed (in June from a 90-day suspension) and I know there is great golf in me."

Joining Day in the field this week are fellow Australians Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman.

The CJ Cup is a $US9.75 million ($A13.6m) event with only 78 players and no 36-hole cut and the winner receives $US1.75m ($A2.5m).

Big names at the CJ Cup include two-time winner Justin Thomas, four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and young gun Matthew Wolff.

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