Tag: John Daly II

John Daly II to make first professional start on Korn Ferry Tour this week

Time for Little John to shine.

Little John is making his professional debut this week.

John Daly II, the son of John Daly, will tee it up this week on the Korn Ferry Tour at the Compliance Solutions Championship at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club in Norman, Oklahoma. It will be his first start on the Korn Ferry Tour and his first professional event.

A rising junior at Arkansas, Daly II received a sponsor exemption into the event. In eight events last season, he had a 71.78 stroke average and two top-10 finishes.

Daly II is no stranger to the public eye, as he has made appearances (including a win in 2021) at the PNC Championship in Orlando alongside his dad at the season-ending scramble event. The duo also has runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2022.

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Can Little John follow in his father’s footsteps and have a successful professional career? It all starts this week.

Your 2022 picks: Our top 10 college golf stories (No. 1 is about John Daly’s son and his NIL deal)

While the infrastructure of the college game is being overhauled, the best stories again came from big personalities and masterful golf.

While post-pandemic college tournament golf settled back into something more familiar in 2022, at least in terms of scheduling, the new frontiers of NIL, LIV Golf and the transfer portal made this anything but a typical year.

And while the infrastructure of the game continues with a major overhaul, the best stories of the year again came from big personalities, storied institutions and some masterful play on the course.

As we continue the countdown to 2023 by offering up a snapshot of our best stories from the year, take a scroll through some of the biggest stories from the world of college golf in 2022 (photo galleries and preseason watch lists were not included in this listing).

John Daly to undergo knee replacement surgery, says taking a cart ‘a big disadvantage’

Daly held off on surgery so that he and John II could attempt to defend their title.

ORLANDO – Tiger and Charlie Woods aren’t the only ones hobbled this week at the PNC Championship.

Former two-time major champion John Daly revealed that he is scheduled to have left knee replacement surgery Wednesday. Daly, 56, who has dealt with osteoarthritis, previously had his right knee replaced three years ago.

“It’s tough when you don’t have a follow-through,” Daly told pgatour.com. “I’m basically just trying to stay on one leg. But the adrenaline of playing with my son will get me through.”

“So I’ll be out for a while,” he added in a pre-tournament interview. “We’ve got Christmas coming up, so we’ll get to spend some time together.”

Daly held off on surgery so that he and John II, who is redshirting this year at Arkansas, could attempt to defend their title at the PNC Championship. The Dalys edged out Team Woods by a stroke last year.

Daly can relate to the pain that Tiger, who lately has been dealing with plantar fasciitis, is enduring to play.

“It’s no fun when you can’t walk and can’t turn and be able to get out and practice enough and complete, which I can’t do right now really,” Daly said. “I pray for Tiger. I hope his leg holds up and gets fixed because we need him on the Tour. For me, I’ve had probably more surgeries probably than Tiger. They just keep adding up over the last five years. But I get this metal put in this knee, hell, I got more metal than the Bionic Man does.”

While Tiger has been adamant that he won’t petition for use of a cart on the PGA Tour, Daly, who has used a cart in the PGA Championship since 2019, doesn’t think riding in a cart provides an edge. He argued, in fact, that it is a disadvantage.

“I’m not embarrassed to take a cart. It’s not helping my golf game by any means,” Daly said. “I would rather walk and play golf because then you have time to settle down on a good hole or a bad hole and you’re walking instead of just getting in the cart and going up and hitting the shot. It’s actually a big disadvantage. But if I could walk, I’d definitely do it.”

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Arkansas golfer John Daly II signs NIL with Hooters

The NIL deal between John Daly II and this particular restaurant isn’t the most surprising of alliances.

The Hooters location in Fayetteville, Arkansas, hasn’t been open in almost 10 years. But one Arkansas athlete has a bond with the restaurant now, anyway.

John Daly II, son of the famous Arkansas golfer, signed a name, image, likeness deal with Hooters, it was announced Monday. Daly, a freshman on the Razorbacks golf team, played one tournament for the Hogs in the fall.

The father-son duo won the PNC Championship in Orlando in November. They beat, among others, Tiger and Charlie Woods and broke the tournament scoring record in doing so.

Arkansas won the SEC Match Play title in the fall is currently ranked No. 11 in the nation.

John Daly’s son — who has played one college golf tournament — signs NIL deal with Hooters

The son of two-time major champ John Daly played in one tournament last fall for the Razorbacks.

John Daly II has played exactly one tournament for the University of Arkansas and posted just a single round under par during that event, but that didn’t stop the freshman from signing a name, image, likeness deal with Hooters, an agreement that was announced on Tuesday.

The son of two-time major champ John Daly played in one tournament last fall for the Razorbacks, posting scores of 83-68-78 at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational in October.

The Dalys combined in December to win the PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, using a 36-hole total of 27-under 117 to beat Tiger and Charlie Woods. In the process, the tandem broke the previous tournament scoring record set by Davis Love III/Dru Love in 2018 by one stroke, and earned Team Daly the red-leather Willie Park winner’s belts.

Also, the younger Daly placed T-12 in the 2022 New Year’s Invitational at St. Petersburg Country Club, posting rounds of 69 and 68 in the process. That event was won by Remi Chartier of East Tennessee State. The freshman from Clearwater has seen little time in the Arkansas lineup as stars Mateo Fernández de Oliveira and Luke Long have led the way. The Razorbacks won the SEC Match Play Championship in the fall at Shoal Creek, and currently sit at No. 11 in the Golfweek/Sagarin collegiate team rankings.

The senior Daly said via Twitter that he was happy to continue the family relationship with the brand.

“Can’t express how excited I am to be back with my @Hooters family & having my son beside me on the next generation!” he said.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Hooters is thrilled to make our long-standing relationship with John official and to enter an exciting new venture with Little John as our first NIL ambassador,” Bruce Skala, Hooters senior VP of marketing, said in a release. “John’s larger-than-life personality makes him an ideal representative of Hooters’ fun-loving spirit, while Little John will promote our brand to the next generation as one of the next big names in golf. We are ecstatic to have the Dalys, fantastic golfers and great personalities, on board as spokespeople for Hooters, the definitive 19th hole.”

NIL deals continue to make news as the stakes for college athletes is raised. For example, a five-star high school recruit in the 2023 class recently signed a name, image and likeness collective with a school that could earn him $8 million before his senior year at the college, The Athletic reported.

Since the Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision in June 2021 that threw out the NCAA’s restrictions on “education-related benefits,” almost 30 states have passed legislation about NIL and its governance, despite being no federal law to oversee it.

The NCAA is expected to file a report to discuss how NIL is impacting college athletics, despite the Supreme Court ruling that “the NCAA is not above the law” in its unanimous decision.

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John Daly teams up with son John Daly II to win PNC Championship in record fashion

The 36-hole total of 27 under earned Team Daly the red-leather Willie Park winner’s belts.

ORLANDO – John Daly putted so poorly on Saturday that when his son walked off the 18th green at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, he asked a friend, “Teach my dad how to putt, please.”

John II wasn’t kidding but his dear old-dad, 55, figured things out with his short stick on Sunday as Team Daly poured in 13 birdies and an eagle en route to shooting 15-under 57 in the two-person scramble format.

“Hit seven naturals today, so I helped the team today,” Big John said of his rediscovered putting prowess.

The 36-hole total of 27-under 117 was two strokes better than Tiger and Charlie Woods, breaking the previous tournament scoring record set by Davis Love III/Dru Love in 2018 by one stroke, and earned Team Daly the red-leather Willie Park winner’s belts.

“He’s always wanted to win those belts,” said Daly’s longtime girlfriend, Anna Cladakis.

John II is a freshman on the University of Arkansas golf team, his father’s alma mater, and he was decked out in a Razorbacks golf shirt, hat and belt buckle. The 18-year-old has been playing in this event since he was 12.

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“To watch him grow up to do the things he could do with a golf ball,” the proud papa said, “and a swing that’s so perfect, but saving my you-know-what from putting yesterday, and he played phenomenal and I helped him with a few shots here and there.”

Team Daly combined to birdie every hole except two on the inward nine (Nos. 15, 17). Daly stuck his approach at 16 tight for the birdie that would be the difference.

“We are used to hitting like wedges up there, and I hit a horrible drive,” Big John said. “I hit a 7-iron in there about a foot and a half and it was a birdie there. I think that was a big, big turning point for this week right there.”

“When he made that, we knew it was basically over because I checked the leaderboard to see what Tiger finished at,” John II said.

Team Daly had finished inside the top-10 in all six appearances at the PNC Championship, with a tie for second in 2018, but had never won the belts they so desperately wanted.

“Every year we always try and win but this was the year just enjoyed it and being here playing with him in the holidays,” John II said. “I guess that’s what happens, when you win.”

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Watch: John Daly as Santa Claus at the PNC Championship banquet is both festive and hilarious

‘Twas the night before the PNC Championship and all through an Orlando-area banquet hall …

‘Twas the night before the PNC Championship and all through an Orlando-area banquet hall … not a golfer, family member or staffer was able to keep a straight face when Long John arrived.

John Daly stole the show at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Grande Lakes in Orlando on Friday night, using his snow-white facial hair and ample belly to produce a spot-on St. Nicholas that spread holiday cheer as well as a few adult beverages.

Daly is part of what’s certain to be an entertaining field at this weekend’s event, one which was originally called the Father-Son Challenge. It has since expanded to include pro golfers and a parent or child. One prerequisite is that each group has a major championship winner.

PNC: Saturday tee times | How to watch

When he’s not playing Santa Claus, Daly can proudly boast two — the 1991 PGA Championship and 1995 British Open — and he’ll be paired with his son, budding golfer John Daly II. If the elder Daly had any ill effects after Friday’s festivities, he’s had plenty of time to sleep them off — he’s not due on the first tee until 12:06.

Here’s a look at Daly’s fun Friday:

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John Daly II finishes in a tie for second at Crooked Stick, where dad won 1991 PGA

John Daly II, who goes by “Little John”, finished in three-way tie for second at the Dye, an invitation-only junior event in Indianapolis.

John Daly II, whose nickname is “Little John”, finished in three-way tie for second at the inaugural Dye National Junior Invitational, an invitation-only junior event in Indianapolis, on Wednesday.

Daly II finished four strokes behind tournament winner John Marshall Butler, who shot even par in a 54-hole event many simply call the Dye.

Played at Crooked Stick, a course Dye designed in his hometown with his wife, Alice, and where Daly II’s father won the 1991 PGA Championship in the most remarkable fashion, Little John shot a final-round 76. He was tied for the lead after 36 holes, all played on Tuesday, after shooting 74-70.

Jordan Gilkison and Drew Wrightson tied Daly II for second. Michael Brennan and Drew Sayers finished T-5 at +5.

Daly II is a high school junior in Clearwater, Florida.

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