John Daly – Page 8 – Syndication Server

PGA Tour Champions: First event with fans gets a crowd for Jack Nicklaus and others

Jack Nicklaus and Andy North took on Hale Irwin and Tony Jacklin in an exhibition as part of the Sanford Invitational with fans on hand.

If you attended the second day of the Sanford International at Minnehaha Country Club (and the improved weather resulted in a far larger crowd Saturday than for Friday’s opener in Sioux Falls, South Dakota), you might have found yourself with a difficult decision by the end of the afternoon.

Who to follow around the course at the PGA Tour Champions event, the first golf event with fans since the pandemic began?

You had the threesome of Steve Stricker, John Daly and Robin Byrd, with Daly clearly asserting himself as the people’s choice after this week’s bladder cancer diagnosis, which he’s promptly responded to with a stellar first two days, checking in at 6-under, three strokes off the lead heading into Sunday.

Stricker, the 2018 champion, shot a 64 Saturday to vault himself into a tie for the lead at 9-under.

Or you could’ve followed the threesome of Miguel Angel Jimenez, David Toms and Dicky Pride, who are all playing spectacular golf this weekend. Pride shot a 5-under 65 on Friday to take the early lead, while Jimenez produced a second straight brilliant round that puts him atop the leaderboard with Stricker at 9-under. Toms is not far behind at 7-under.

Then there was Darren Clarke, who carded a tournament-record 62 on Saturday to pull within one stroke of Stricker, tied with Kevin Sutherland and Fred Couples, who shot a 64 on Saturday, including the shot of the day when he eagled No. 9 with a “slam dunk” chip directly into the hole.

Jack Nicklaus dons a hat with a golden bear on it, emblematic of his nickname, in the EMC Legends Series at the Sanford International on Saturday, September 12, At the Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls. — Jack Nicklaus dons a hat with a golden bear on it, emblematic of his nickname, in the EMC Legends Series at the Sanford International on Saturday, September 12, At the Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

And still, with all that going on, it was hard for the spectators not to turn their attention to the back nine at around 4 p.m., when the Legends Series teed off for their nine-hole charity exhibition.

Jack Nicklaus and Andy North took on Hale Irwin and Tony Jacklin. Nicklaus, considered by many to be the greatest golfer of all time, teaming with the two-time U.S. Open winner, and Irwin, the winningest player in PGA Tour Champions history teaming with Jacklin, a British legend and 1970 U.S. Open champion.

Steve Stricker tees off during the Sanford International on Saturday, September 12, At the Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls.

Nicklaus is 80, Jacklin 76 and Irwin 75, while North was the young pup of the group at 70, and the foursome put on a memorable show that left onlookers in awe throughout their 2½ hour round.

Jacklin and Irwin ended up winning the match play event, their prize being $20,000 to Sanford Children’s Hospital. It dropped North and Nicklaus to 0-3 in the event, a number they were having fun with in a group media session before the round and continued to joke about throughout their trip through Minnehaha’s back nine.

But while fun, camaraderie and charity were clearly the top priorities for the foursome, the exhibition of golf they put on, even in their 70s and beyond, was impressive in its own right.

Jack Nicklaus plays in the EMC Legends Series at the Sanford International on Saturday, September 12, At the Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls.

Nicklaus, who won a battle with COVID-19 earlier this year, doesn’t move very quickly and his swing is an abbreviated version of itself, and that limited his distance off the tee. But the Golden Bear still put virtually every drive right down the middle, and saw a handful of difficult putts just miss giving the throng of fans that surrounded the greens the chance to erupt in celebration (as they so clearly wanted to).

Irwin, who was an all-Big 8 defensive back for the Colorado Buffaloes and later a three-time U.S. Open winner, looks about a dozen years younger than his 75 years and spent his round ribbing the other golfers, chatting with fans and media and making friends with Ben Wieman, the 10-year-old from Madison who was named the Sandford Children’s Hospital Ambassador.

Miguel Jimenez talks with his caddy before teeing off during the Sanford International on Saturday, September 12, At the Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls.

Wieman had been diagnosed with leukemia in 2017 and rang the ball at the Children’s Hospital on April 10 to mark the end of his cancer treatment. North had Wieman take his final putt on No. 18, and the youngster’s presence was extra special when the Legends finished their round and the gift to the Children’s Hospital was made official.

“I think it’s one of the highlights of the week to get three of the greatest players to ever play this game to come in here and spend nine holes having some fun and some laughs and get a chance to compete at whatever level we can compete now,” said North, who nearly chipped one in from 20 yards outside the green on No. 12. “We really do appreciate it.”

John Daly on playing after cancer diagnosis: ‘I figure I can’t just sit at home’

John Daly teed it up at the Sanford International Friday after news broke of his bladder cancer diagnosis.

The week after John Daly had surgery to remove the recently diagnosed cancer in his bladder was brutal.

Eight days of chemotherapy and surgery left the 54-year-old feeling tired Friday at Minnehaha Country Club. Despite his fatigue, Daly chose to compete at the Sanford International this weekend.

“(My doctor) didn’t really say just sit at home. He didn’t really recommend I be playing, either,” Daly said. “I figure I can’t just sit at home, it’s just going to get in my mind and it’s going to make me feel worse, so going to try to keep playing as much as I can. I’m going to go back home after this week and go see the doc again.

“I hate missing PURE Insurance and Pebble, but he wants to go and sit down with me and go through everything and set up an appointment sometime early November, right after the season, and go back in and check it out again.”

LEADERBOARD: Sanford International

Daly played pretty well Friday, considering the physical and mental stress of the past few weeks.

He finished the first round 2-under 68 to sit T-11, one shot behind Steve Stricker and three behind a three-way tie for the lead. Daly, who won the 1991 PGA Championship and 1996 Open Championship, said the cold, rainy weather in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was “brutal” and the course didn’t play easily, but he was satisfied with his performance.

Daly, who withdrew from the field at the PGA Championship in early August due to health concerns, last competed on the Champions Tour in mid-August at the Charles Schwab Series at Bass Pro Shops Big Cedar Lodge. He withdrew from the tournament after two rounds due to illness. The last full event Daly played was the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship, where he finished T-70.

John Daly on the 17th hole during the first round of the 2020 Sanford International at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. (Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

The good news surrounding Daly’s diagnosis is the cancer has not spread to his kidneys, pancreas or liver. Daly said his doctors informed him the cancer is beatable if he changes some health habits.

“Learned an awful lot in the last week about it,” Daly said. “It’s something that a lot of people have beaten and can get through it but it’s going to be painful but three months, three months, six months, a year, it’s going to be pretty painful how they do the operations so 80-85 percent chance it comes back and I’ll be getting it done in November again.”

In November, Daly said he’ll check in with his doctor and if the cancer has returned, he’ll undergo another surgery to remove it.

“They’ll just cut it out again and keep cutting it out until hopefully one day it goes away,” he said.

John Daly shares details on his bladder cancer diagnosis.

He did eight straight days of chemotherapy treatment before @SanfordIntl. pic.twitter.com/ZnPRttYMsY

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) September 11, 2020

One of the major changes Daly told Golf Channel he is trying to make in order to decrease the chance of a recurrence is drinking less Diet Coke and smoking less. Daly said he lit up a few cigarettes on the course Friday, but significantly fewer than usual.

“I feel confident if I do what they tell me to do — hell, I only smoked six cigarettes, not even six cigarettes out there today,” Daly said. “It’s usually about a pack and a half so I’m trying to slow everything down but I can’t just quit everything right now and (the doctor’s) cool with that.”

Same old John Daly.

Despite the uncertainty of his cancer diagnosis, the resulting surgery and chemotherapy, he’s still smiling.

“I’ve got to (smile), man,” Daly said. “We’ll beat it, I’ll beat it.”

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John Daly’s snapped putter aside, Senior Players was eerily quiet

Akron Beacon Journal photographer Jeff Lange didn’t see John Daly snap his putter on the 16th hole Saturday at Firestone Country Club. But Lange heard it. During a normal year, even in 2019 when the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship replaced …

Akron Beacon Journal photographer Jeff Lange didn’t see John Daly snap his putter on the 16th hole Saturday at Firestone Country Club.

But Lange heard it.

During a normal year, even in 2019 when the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship replaced the departed World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, the loud crack might not have been audible. Still a man of the people on the PGA Tour Champions, Daly would have drawn a crowd and there would have been buzz as he hit two shots in the water and 3-putted.

In the fan-less COVID-19 world of professional golf, Lange was still able to capture the aftermath of Daly’s dismay after a quadruple-bogey 9, which left Daly putting with a 3-wood for his remaining holes.

Through four beautiful days marred only by a Sunday afternoon thunderstorm, Firestone’s South Course was eerily quiet. A tough Friday crosswind left the field fighting to compensate, but at least the sound of a ball cutting through tree leaves kept one observer from being struck.

The few outside the ropes were marshals, volunteers, girlfriends, wives, tour officials, the cleaning crew and Golf Channel staffers.

John Daly places his broken putter in the back of his cart after finishing with a quadruple bogey on hole sixteen during the third round of the 2020 Bridgestone Senior Players Championship at Firestone Country Club, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020, in Akron, Ohio. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]

With no television towers erected, the network used “spiders,” a motorized vehicle that looks more appropriate for saving house fire victims from the second story. Only two spiders were on site last year, but with no fans in 2020 the Golf Channel decided to bring in more.

Don Padgett III, executive director of the Bridgestone Senior Players, got the chance to sit behind the ninth green for about an hour watching some groups come through, which he said he’d never done in 14 years in this role. He marveled at being to hear every “good shot” or “good putt” uttered and felt like he was sneaking a peek at an everyday foursome, not the world’s best 50-and-over pros.

Those who did the same clapped politely but lightly at such shots. A robust reaction felt totally out of place.

Padgett also stood at the first tee on Thursday when Fred Couples, Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez opened the tournament.

“We all watched them tee off and said, ‘There would have been a lot of people here with that group going off,’” Padgett said.

But even without fans, Padgett was glad the event went on. Especially after 13 Champions Tour events were canceled and two Senior majors were postponed, including the Bridgestone, previously scheduled for July 9-12.

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“Everybody uses ‘Things are fluid,’ and when you’re trying to plan a big event and all the volunteers and supporters, it’s definitely a moving target. We had the goalposts moved on us a few times this year,” Padgett said.

The biggest challenge in putting on the $3 million tournament during the pandemic was awaiting the decision on fans, not announced until July 22, because of the structures that needed to be erected.

“We could have had limited fans-full hospitality, like Memorial had been approved for, we could have had just hospitality, or we could have had nobody,” Padgett said. “There was a time where we could have a full event, or if things really went sideways no event, and about three scenarios in between. You were just trying to make your best guess.”

Amid the economic devastation brought on by the health crisis, the event held a Wednesday pro-am at Firestone, a priority on the Champions Tour, and the Westfield Legends Pro-Am Thursday at Westfield Country Club. This year $750,000 was donated back to charity, as compared to $825,000 in 2019.

“It will be gratifying to know that we had a big impact on the community —$150,000 to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, other great partners, the LeBron James Family Foundation will get some funds this year,” Padgett said. “That’s what it’s all about for a lot of people and why they’re involved with this event.

A masked volunteer works as a spotter along the No. 2 fairway during the final round of the 2020 Bridgestone Senior Players Championship at Firestone Country Club, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020, in Akron, Ohio. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]

“All things considered, I think we’re going to have a really successful week.”

The field saw Firestone with all its teeth, with firm and fast conditions rarely seen during the WGC days from 1999-2018. Yes, there were COVID-19 tests and protocols. In-restaurant dining was prohibited by the tour, which meant no visits to the Diamond Grille.

But the competitors, even as they struggled, their wives and girlfriends may have enjoyed a peaceful respite amid the beauty of the historic oak-lined course.

If John Daly’s putter could talk, it might be the lone dissenter.

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John Daly’s legacy takes a charitable turn with new foundation

John Daly will launch a new foundation with an undisclosed partner. The 501C3 charity will serve children and veterans.

For years, the lure of John Daly has been his party-boy persona and his belief in living life to the fullest.

He was identified by his penchant for cigarettes, Diet Cokes and his annual fan get-together in the parking lot at Hooters during Masters week.

All that created a caricature of Daly that gave little hint of the man inside the brightly-colored pants. Now 54, Daly is ready to add another, more impactful chapter to his legacy, putting his “Heart of a Lion” mantra on full display.

Later this month, Daly will launch a new foundation with an undisclosed partner. The 501C3 charity will serve children and veterans, with some of the initiatives to benefit cities where Daly schedules golf appearances.

Its first major donation will be the construction of a new Boys & Girls Club in Dardanelle, Arkansas, where Daly lives and holds his annual golf tournament in support of that club. The new group is also building a home for a veteran in Oklahoma.

“He’s just a guy who wants to leave a legacy and he loves these kids and he loves these vets,” said Rick Leslie, a director and chairman of Daly’s new foundation. “If he had all his winnings from back in the day, he wouldn’t use it to do anything else but helping people. I’m not sure when he came to that epiphany, but now that’s all we talk about.”

The date of that awakening for the winner of nearly $12 million in his PGA and Champions Tour careers remains unknown. Daly declined to comment after carding an 82 Saturday in the third round of the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship at Firestone Country Club during which he broke his putter after carding a 9 on the 16th hole (his seventh). The foundation’s announcement and kickoff is slated for Aug. 26-28.

Daly has another foundation, but it has languished in recent years. Leslie met Daly through the unnamed partner, a close friend of Daly’s. Leslie believes they found each other at the right time about three or four months ago.

Leslie, 50, of Manhattan Beach, California, calls himself an entrepreneur. He owns a CBD company and a printing business. He says he attended “the college of hard knocks,” to which down-to-earth Daly can relate. Leslie had served on boards of other charities and volunteered his help in a new endeavor.

“I said, ‘I have an accounting firm, I have a law firm, I have graphic designers, I have everything in house to do this,’” Leslie said in a Friday phone interview. “Oddly enough, it just clicked like nothing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Leslie said he plays golf, though not well, and had the same impression of Daly as most of the sport’s fans.

Senior Players: Leaderboard | Best photos

“From the outside watching golf and watching John, I didn’t realize what a good man he actually is,” Leslie said. “The media portray him as a party boy. He does have some of that, but that’s OK because that’s him.

“In the short time I’ve known him, he’s one of my favorite people on earth. He’s a great golfer and I’m not sure if he even understands his star status. There’s not one time he hasn’t answered my phone call or text. It’s always, ‘What’s up, brother? You know I love you, man.’ How can you not love somebody who says that to you? That’s him in a nutshell. He loves life, loves people and he loves his family.”

Daly has three children — Shynah, 28, Sierra, 25, and John II, 17, a promising junior golfer.

Leslie said he’s already spoken to about 30 potential donors, all friends of Daly’s. Leslie said the new foundation’s goal is to return 85 to 90 percent of the money raised to charity.

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“He goes, ‘We haven’t started yet, brother,’” Leslie said of Daly. “He was in a car with a large music star the other day and all of a sudden this musician goes, ‘Hey, Rick, I heard about you.’

“These are people who would do whatever John wanted, just because of John’s heart. They’re like, ‘[If it’s] set up properly, we’re in. What do you need?’ I’ve never had that, ever.’ When you raise money for 501C3 companies, it’s a struggle. You get 100 or 200 people, it’s a good showing. We’ve already spoken to that many people and 30-plus have been stars.”

Leslie called the new organization “a foundation of foundations.” He said it will partner with other charities and said Gary Sinise’s will be one of them. The actor best known for his role as Lt. Dan Taylor in “Forrest Gump” is dedicated to helping veterans, first responders and their families. If Daly is playing in Memphis, Tennessee, Leslie said it will be St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Two affiliations in Florida are also being lined up.

“Not everybody is as lucky as who we have and what we have, resources-wise and star power. And not just John,” Leslie said.

Daly will always be a larger-than-life figure. It may not be possible for him to eclipse his missteps, his excesses, the outrageousness that made him a cult hero. But Leslie believes he can help Daly use all that for a greater purpose.

“Honestly, he has the biggest heart of anybody I know,” Leslie said. “This is his legacy. It’s an opportunity for him to help the public have a different perception of him.”

John Daly follows his shot out of the bunker for birdie on hole twelve during the third round of the 2020 Bridgestone Senior Players Championship at Firestone Country Club, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020, in Akron, Ohio. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]

John Daly, Vijay Singh withdraw from PGA Championship

John Daly (1991 PGA Champion) and Vijay Singh (1998 + 2004 PGA Champion) have both withdrawn from the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park.
According to the PGA of America, Daly has withdrawn due to health concerns.
Daly used a golf cart during the 2019 PGA Championship tournament after receiving a waiver from the PGA of America under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Daly finished the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black at 11 over after 36 holes, missing the cut. Singh, 57, withdrew due to an injury, the PGA of America revealed. He finished T-41 at 3 under on Sunday during the PGA Tour Champions’ Ally Challenge in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Singh’s made his last PGA Championship appearance in 2018 at Bellerive Country Club, where he made the cut and finished in 78th at 3 over. The PGA Championship begins Thursday, August 6th, at TPC Harding Park at San Francisco with no spectators.

John Daly, Vijay Singh withdraw from PGA Championship

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, John Daly and Vijay Singh have withdrawn from the 2020 PGA Championship.

Two past PGA Championship winners have withdrawn from this year’s event.

John Daly, who won the 1991 PGA Championship, and Vijay Singh, winner of the 1998 and 2004 PGA Championships, have withdrawn from the 2020 event at TPC Harding Park.

The PGA of America revealed Singh, 57, withdrew due to an injury. The 34-time PGA Tour champion last competed Sunday during the PGA Tour Champions’ Ally Challenge in Grand Blanc, Michigan, finishing T-41 at 3 under.

Singh’s last PGA Championship appearance was in 2018 in which he made the cut and finished in 78th at 3 over.

Daly, 54, caused a stir at the 2019 PGA Championship by using a golf cart during the tournament after receiving a waiver from the PGA of America under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Tiger Woods was critical of the decision as was Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch.

“It’s very awkward (to use a cart) and it’s almost to a point where it’s embarrassing,” Daly said after his first round in 2019. “I don’t want to ride all the time, but if I don’t, I won’t be able to finish. I enjoy playing and I’m still competitive. It’s not really ego, I feel committed.”

Daly finished the 2019 tournament at Bethpage Black at 11 over after 36 holes, missing the cut.

Daly withdrew due to health concerns, according to the PGA of America. The five-time PGA Tour winner also competed during Ally Challenge, finishing T-58 at even par.

Denny McCarthy will replace Daly and Emiliano Grillo will replace Singh in the PGA Championship field.

Francesco Molinari and Padraig Harrington also withdrew from the PGA Championship due to concerns over traveling to the United States amid the coronavirus pandemic. They are replaced by Troy Merritt and Talor Gooch.

The PGA Championship begins Thursday at TPC Harding Park at San Francisco with no spectators.

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Is Bryson DeChambeau the next John Daly? In a few ways, perhaps

John Daly burst onto the scene with his “grip it and rip it” style of golf. Bryson DeChambeau is more “analyze it and rip it.”

DUBLIN, Ohio – Bryson DeChambeau would be John Daly if he had majored in barefoot beer-swilling instead of physics. If he knew nothing instead of trying to know everything. If Hooters was his favorite hangout spot. And if he smoked Marlboros instead of Bridgestones.

Other than those tiny differences – ahem – the two blonde bombers are pretty much alike. At least off the tee, where their calling card is/was being able to hit a golf ball the length of three football fields.

Or four. During the opening round of the Memorial Tournament on Thursday, DeChambeau powdered his 5.5-degree Cobra King Speedzone driver (Branding!) a mesmerizing 423 yards on the par-4 first hole at Muirfield Village.

He had 46 yards left to the pin. You can pick your jaw off the floor now.

“I sometimes can’t believe it. There were years where I hit 5-iron into that hole, and now I’m hitting a 30-yard little shot,” he said after shooting a 1-over-par 73.

At hole 17, DeChambeau smacked his drive, watched it climb toward the jet stream and ordered his Bridgestone Tour BX golf ball — Branding! — to “Sit down” for fear it might end up in the creek 437 yards away. It came to rest 30 yards short.

DeChambeau’s straight-armed Moe Norman-ish golf swing is a sight to behold, if your eyesight is strong enough to track 350-yard drives.

Just as challenging is tracking DeChambeau as he describes air density, body mass – the 26-year-old has added 30 pounds over the past six months to weigh in at 240, still 40 pounds short of Daly as his heftiest – and his 200-mph ball speed that would win the Indy 500. But there are enough times — here again is where he and Daly become one — when the No. 7-ranked player in the world speaks plainly and honestly.

“I would say as time went on, I just realized that I’ve really got nothing to lose, and what if I could hit it just as far as the longest players out here but hit it straighter,” DeChambeau said, explaining his reasoning for switching full-time to the go-for-broke swing he calls “The Kraken.”

DeChambeau, despite having five PGA Tour wins entering 2020, also became bored with playing it safe.

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“I kind of get tired of playing the same game over and over again,” he said. “My game that I was playing, I wanted to just spice things up a little bit and see if I could make an impact.”

He has. In his own way, DeChambeau is trying to change golf like Daly did nearly two decades ago, when Big John burst onto the scene by winning the 1991 PGA Championship with his “grip it and rip it” style of golf. DeChambeau is more “analyze it and rip it,” but the concept is similar: hit your first shot as far as you can so your next shot with a shorter iron becomes easier.

Not everyone agrees with the approach, or the player who is promoting it. There is murmuring on tour – or tweeting, in the case of Brooks Koepka, who enjoys ribbing DeChambeau on social media – that the Kraken is overrated.

Dustin Johnson addressed whether he might follow DeChambeau’s lead and go all-in off the tee.

“Until I feel like I need to hit it further to compete or beat these guys, then that’s what I’ll do,” Johnson said. “But for right now I feel like if I’m playing my game, he can hit it as far as he wants to, and I don’t think he’s going to beat me.”

Alrighty then. Except DeChambeau is beating people. His shtick with a stick has resulted in seven consecutive top-10 finishes, including a win two weeks ago at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, when he averaged 351 yards off the two measured driving holes.

Jealousy is afoot, no doubt, as is a purist view that bomb-it-then-bunt-it is hurting golf. Bah. DeChambeau is good for the game, as Daly was. True, the latter is much more of a character, while the former is more about marketing his character (creating and protecting his brand is big with Bryson), but neither are cardboard cutouts. Thank goodness.

DeChambeau may not be your cup of tea, but at least he’s not lukewarm water.

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John Daly will send your friends a (semi-harassing) message for $750

John Daly will send a message via Cameo for the fee of $750, and he seems to relish in harassing those on the other end of the message.

What do you get the golfer who’s already swapped drivers so often they forget the name of the one they’ve currently got in their bag?

How about a harassing birthday message from one of golf’s most colorful and charismatic figures.

A number of athletes and TV/movie stars are now on the website Cameo.com, where celebrities will read a short message to the person of your choice for a handsome fee.

John Daly will send someone a message via Cameo for $750.

Not only does Daly’s page insist he’ll do this for the sum of $750, but unlike many of the others who stick to a mild, happy script, Daly seems to relish in harassing those on the other end of the message.

Here’s an example of one of the messages Daly has listed on his page (which includes the title “Grip It & Rip It King”):

“Hey Brian … listen here, boy, I heard you’re a long hitter. Not like me, brother. I heard you think you can put away some vodka, not like me, brother. Maybe I’ll see you on the Senior Tour one day. Ah, probably not, OK? You degenerate, I love you. See you.”

The way Cameo works, different celebrities charge different fees for a quick message and will take up to seven days to create the short video. Other golfers on the site include Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald, who both charge $149 for a short message. Tom Lehman will leave a short message for $100 while Golf Channel host and former Symetra Tour player Blair O’Neal will do so for $99. A message from current LPGA star Lexi Thomson costs $50.

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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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John Daly II tied for lead at Crooked Stick after 36 holes

The son of golfer John Daly shined through the first two rounds of the two-day Dye National Junior Invitational at the site of his father’s first victory.

Something felt familiar on Tuesday.

On day one of the two-day Dye National Junior Invitational, 33 high school-age boys and 33 girls – among the top players in the country – were happy to be out there competing again at Crooked Stick Golf Club, just outside Indianapolis. Life felt normal again. This felt familiar.

“The Dye” is an inaugural tournament to honor the legacy of world-renowned course designers Pete and Alice Dye. Pete, who died on Jan. 9 at age 94, designed the Crooked Stick course, which has played host to major championships, most famously the 1991 PGA Championship won by John Daly, a then-unknown rookie who was an alternate who played his opening round without ever having played the course.

It was fitting — familiar, even — that John Daly II, John’s son, was one of five tied for the lead at even-par after the first 36 holes of the 54-hole tournament, which will be completed on Wednesday.

Daly II, a junior in high school from Clearwater, Fla., displays many of the same mannerisms as his father – and has the game to match. His 10-foot eagle putt on No. 9 on his final hole of the day and for a one-shot lead danced on the lip of the cup but did not fall.

John Daly II competes in the inaugural Pete & Alice Dye Junior Invitational at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. [Jenna Watson/IndyStar]

Daly was tied with four other players through after 36 holes of play: Michael Brennan (Leesburg, Virginia), Drew Salyers (Howard, Ohio), Carmel junior Drew Wrightson and John Marshall Butler (Louisville, Kentucky).

“It’s exciting,” said Clay Merchent, a four-time all-state selection from Noblesville High School. “I didn’t think they were going to be able to pull it off and I know a lot of work went into it both on the tournament side and talking to the right people, making sure that we were going to be able to social distance and do it the right way.

Merchent, an Indiana recruit who also lurked among the leaders, said playing in Daly’s group was a blast. Merchent finished his two rounds at 5-over-par and was alone in eighth place.

“Really good kid,” Merchent said. “He knows how to get around a golf course, without a doubt. He hits it hard and long, just like his dad. But he’s going to create an identity for himself. He’s not going to have to go by his dad’s name. I think he’s got self-confidence and his own identity.”

Daly II declined to be interviewed after Tuesday’s play, saying it had been a long day, although Dad tweeted in support.

Let’s go son! 👊🏼 https://t.co/rjIYOSbzi7

— John Daly (@PGA_JohnDaly) May 26, 2020

Wrightson, a Baylor commit, will go into Wednesday’s round in striking distance. He said shaking off the rust felt good.

“I haven’t been in a competition in about eight months or so,” Wrightson said. “I had to get some nerves out of the way in the beginning, but otherwise I was just happy to get out there and play some golf. I’m thankful. This is my home course and it’s an honor to be able to get out there and play it in a competition with all of these kids here.”

Luke Prall, a Carmel senior and Purdue commit, was 4-over and alone in seventh with two holes to play in his round.

On the girls’ side, Zionsville senior and Clemson recruit Annabelle Pancake finished her day in a tie for third at 1-over, four shots behind leader Reagan Zibilski of Springfield, Missouri.

“Overall, pretty good,” Pancake said of her round. “For not competing in like six months, it’s about as good as it could get, especially for the first 18. The second 18 was not as consistent. I’m starting to hit the ball a lot farther, which is fun. I don’t know why. But hitting far on the home course is fun. Playing here for last 15 years of my life is definitely an advantage.”

Westfield senior and Purdue recruit Jocelyn Bruch is also in contention, tied for seventh at 6-over and nine shots off the lead.

While golf lends itself to a game that can be played during the pandemic, there were a few little changes. The E-Z Lyft ball retrieval was used so players could lift the ball out of the cup without using their hands. However, it may have cost Pancake a stroke.

“I had a chip shot on (No. 1) that was going to go in,” she said. “And it hit the little metal thing and bounced right out. If that wasn’t there it would have gone in. But it is a little different because usually you are hugging your friends after the round and we weren’t able to do that. But I’m glad we can get out here.”

There were elbow taps, fist bumps and even a few air handshakes after the rounds. But it was a return to some sense of competitive sports normalcy again.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.