By Torleif Sorenson on 11/25/13

Last week, Australia's Jason Day revealed that at least eight of his relatives, including his maternal grandmother, died during Typhoon Haiyan (known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda) earlier this month. As a result, Day nearly withdrew from the World Cup of Golf, held this past weekend at Royal Melbourne.

However, with transportation and communication still extremely difficult in the Philippine Islands more than two weeks after the typhoon, realistically, there wasn't much of anything Day could do if he withdrew. Besides, he was in his home country. So Day followed through with his original plans to play the World Cup of Golf.

And he won — with his mother and sister there to see it.

In fact, Day won both the individual title and the team title with 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott, who himself won the Australian Masters just eight days ago. Afterward, Day commented:

"It's just been an amazing tournament for me. My mother, my family, coming down to support me. I'm just so happy the hard work has paid off, and I'm glad it happened in Melbourne.

"It would have been the easiest thing for me to just go ahead and pull out of the tournament with what has been going on over the last week. But I really wanted to come down here and play."

And he did... including at the 6th hole:



Later on, Day sank a crucial par-saving putt at 16th, while Denmark's Thomas Bjørn sputtered down the stretch. That gave Day a two-shot victory over the Dane, as well as his first victory since the 2010 Byron Nelson in Dallas. Gentleman and compassionate person that he is, Bjørn tempered his disappointment with reality:

"Obviously a fraction disappointed, I didn't play that great today. But I couldn't be happier for Jason winning. He has gone through a rough time of late and for him to even be here is a big thing and then to go and win a golf tournament... that's what you want to see."

Day's teammate didn't exactly coast through the event, either. Scott shot 66 on Sunday to finish third, following an opening round 75. Scott's 66 enabled Australia to capture the team title — at home, no less. As a bonus, Day is now 11th in the Official World Golf Rankings.

It has been said that adversity doesn't build character, it reveals character. Need proof? Day has not only pledged a portion of his A$1.5 million winner's check toward relief efforts, but also plans some awareness efforts as the people of the Philippines will need a tremendous amount of outside help to recover and rebuild. Among the U.S.-based relief organizations that have jumped in to provide support and relief are the American Red Cross and Samaritan's Purse. Your contributions to either or both of these registered 501(C)(3) non-profit organizations certainly will help.

In a way, Jason Day winning the 2013 World Cup of Golf with Typhoon Haiyan as an accompanying story is the best-possible story in golf this month.

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."
— John Wooden (1910-2010), legendary basketball coach

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