The Masters 2019: Injury dramas not standing in Jason Day's way in quest for maiden green jacket

For the first time since 2007, Australia will field four players ranked within the world's top 30.

However, those four players are the only Aussies to take on Augusta National in 2019.

Former world No. 1 Jason Day is the highest ranked player of the four, coming in at No. 14.

Always thereabouts at Augusta, Day also heads to Augusta as Australia's most recent major champion.

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In taking out the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, Day shone in more ways than one.

The then-27-year-old's total score of 268 (−20) was the lowest score to par ever recorded in a major before Henrik Stenson's effort a year later at Royal Troon.

Day's PGA Championship victory was a long time coming for the Beaudesert-born Queenslander, who made his major debut in 2010 at St Andrews as Louis Oosthuizen broke through.

Following up with a tied-for-10th finish at Whistling Straits, Day entered the 2011 season with renewed confidence, and sporting a mean goatee.

Again, though, he fell agonisingly short of Masters glory - along with Adam Scott - as Charl Schwartzel tamed Augusta.

Outright second to a rampant Rory McIlroy at Congressional Country Club in a solid US Open showing later that year, Day had truly announced himself.

Outright third as Scott won the green jacket in 2013, Day was getting closer but still, no major title - until 2015.

Now, even after winning a major and holding the top ranking for a time, Day won't be sated until he wins a green jacket, something he made very clear to reporters 12 months ago.

"This is a tournament that I always focus on trying to win every single year," he said.

"I'm striving towards hopefully one day slipping that green jacket on and being able to call myself a Masters champion.

"If I sit there and think about it every night, it gives me chills just trying to think about that actual feeling, so it always gets me focused and ready."

Day's greatest challenges of late have been with his health. Notably, bouts of vertigo led to mid-round collapses and physical episodes a few years ago.

Coming into the 2019 season, Day has been battling inflammation in his lower back - he had to pull out at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and struggled through the Dell Technologies Match Play.

However, getting up for the Masters - regardless of health - is keeping Day motivated to become Australia's second Masters champion, having come so close before.

"My last two tournaments haven’t been great, but if there’s one I need to peak for it’s this," he said.

"If [my back] starts to hurt I’ll have to tough it out. 

"The Match Play was very hard trying to get through that. But I’ve had a week off now, so all-in-all I feel pretty good."

Day's coach Colin Swatton said the 31-year-old has been working on his short-game, in particular, in the build-up to the Masters.

However, respecting the process and allowing Augusta's fairways and greens to do the work will see Day stay in the hunt come Sunday afternoon, should he make it that far.

"Jason wants to win this. He's made no qualms in telling the world that he wants to win the Masters," Swatton said.

"But you can’t overpower this place, there’s been some trainwrecks here from people who have tried.

"You’ve sort of got to let the golf course come to you, and the more that he does that, he’ll have more success here.

"The people who have had a lot of success here, multiple winners, are patient and are not overly aggressive... and that’s what you’ve got to do here."

JASON DAY: MASTERS RECORD