Jason Day in Australian Open field ahead of Presidents Cup

SYDNEY (AP) — Jason Day is hoping a one-week trip Down Under for the Australian Open will turn into two. He and Presidents Cup captain Ernie Els might already be formulating that plan.

Australian Open officials on Tuesday said Day will play at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney from Dec. 5-8.

Golf Australia chief Stephen Pitt said the Australian Open will have "one of the strongest" fields in years, and that he hopes to have about nine of the 12 players from the International team for the following week's Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

Day finished outside of the top eight as automatic picks for the International team to face the United States, but is strongly favored to join Adam Scott, Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith among the Australian contingent for the tournament at Royal Melbourne from Dec. 12-15.

If so, he'll need to be a captain's pick by Els, and Australian media are suggesting that will be a "shoo-in."

Based in Ohio and with three children, Day has found it difficult in recent years to return to Australia for his home Open, mostly because it often clashes with the Thanksgiving Day holiday in the U.S.

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