Day, Garcia battling minor injury on eve of Masters

AUGUSTA, Georgia - Last year's Masters runner-up Jason Day is battling an ankle injury on the eve of this year's championship but the world number 11 expects to play in the tournament.

The Australian injured his left ankle a week ago and is undergoing treatment to ensure he is ready to tee off when the tournament starts at Augusta National on Thursday.

"It's nothing big and, at this stage, I intend to play," Day told the Australian Associated Press. "There was discomfort but it would take a lot for me to miss a Masters."

Day finished tied with his countryman Adam Scott at last year's Masters when he made his first appearance at Augusta National, highlighted by a second round 64.

He followed up his powerful showing by finishing outright second at the U.S. Open two months later.

Sergio Garcia has another nagging injury, and the timing could not be worse. He has an infected nail in the middle finger of his left hand, which affects how strongly he grips the club.

"It's going to be uncomfortable," said Garcia, who wore a small bandage over the finger.

It's the same injury that Garcia dealt with last May when he had to withdraw from a British Open qualifier because of an infected nail. It was a low point for Garcia, until he narrowly got into the U.S. Open, then the British Open, and slowly worked his way back into the top 25 in the world ranking.

What that does for his chances at the Masters remained a mystery.

He is getting treatment, though his practice round did not leave him very optimistic.

"It felt worse today than it did yesterday, but hopefully it will be better tomorrow," he said. "I can play. I won't quit. Even if it's painful, this is a tournament that should be played."

Dustin Johnson pulled out of the tournament on Tuesday with a back injury which he aggrevated last week after lifting a jet-ski out of the water.