Australian Jason Day has revealed that he is trying to stay in the present, rather than dream about what could be a historic week for him at The Masters.

With Tiger Woods absent due to complications following back surgery, Day is one of three men, along with Henrik Stenson and Adam Scott, who could climb to the top of the world rankings with victory at Augusta.

The 26-year-old has admitted that the possibility of achieving two of his career goals in one go is getting him "excited", but is aware that things could go awry on the course if his concentration is not fully on his game.

"I'm just not trying to think of that," he told reporters. "I can't get to number one if I don't win, so my biggest thing is just to really focus on myself. I just need to go out and not really think about the outcomes that could possibly happen or get caught up in stuff that can make my game go backwards.

"I think that's what mental toughness is, to be able to stay in the present and really focus on what you need to do to produce the result in the long run. My goal is obviously to be able to get to number one one day and to have a green jacket, and I can do that in one week.

"That's exciting stuff for me because I know that there's been a lot of hard work and dedication that I've put into the game for many, many years, and it could all pay off in one week. But stuff like that, you've got to put it out of your mind."

Day, who has not played since winning the WGC-Accenture Match Play in February because of a thumb injury, has recorded top-three finishes at The Masters in two of the past three years.