A Controversial Moment Forced John Daly To Expose the USGA for Misleading and Spreading ‘Pure Fiction’ in 2018

Published 10/31/2022, 1:30 PM EDT

John Daly could have had one of the best careers in the sport of golf if it wasn’t for the injuries. The golfer’s career has always been challenged by a series of injuries, for which at times he even required a golf cart at tournaments. We take a look back at the 2018 U.S. Senior Open when Daly’s request for a golf cart was surprisingly denied by USGA which led to the golfer exposing the governing body on Twitter.

John Daly is known for having no filters and being totally open about his thoughts. Over the years, the 2 time Major winner has traveled to various countries and participated in an end number of Tours. Daly currently is part of the PGA Tour Champions since 2016.

Two years after joining the Seniors Tour, the 56-year-old was competing at the U.S. Seniors Open, which is one of the five Major Championships in Senior Golf. However, he later decided to withdraw from the event according to USGA. Let’s take a look at what led to the withdrawal of the “Wild Thing” from the Major.

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No cart, No John Daly

Though golf carts may be a common thing when one goes golfing with his friends, it is considered a taboo in professional golf, especially on the PGA Tour. The Tour follows a strict policy of only walking the court, and avoiding using the golf carts. However, the usage of carts can be allowed in special cases.

Back in 2018, Daly had an injured right knee for which the golfer required a golf cart to move from one hole to another at the U.S. Seniors Open. He sent the request to the governing body, the United States Golf Association. However, his request was declined, leading to John Daly’s withdrawal from the Major.

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Following the withdrawal, Daly released a statement blaming the USGA. He said, “I had to WD from the U.S. Senior Open. The deteriorating osteoarthritis isn’t helping my rt knee. I fall under the ADANational but USGA turned down a cart for me this week. Just going to give the knee a rest. Don’t know what’s ahead for me.”

The USGA was heavily criticized by the fans for not allowing the then 52-year-old to use a golf cart. However, they later released a statement of their own, defending themselves. Despite this, it only got worse for them.

Daly exposes USGA

In their statement, USGA stated that they asked John Daly to provide additional information on the injury. They also cited that each request is reviewed individually. Despite all their efforts, Daly decided to withdraw from the U.S. Open. But that wasn’t the end of the conversation.

I’m not going to mislead the media or my fans. No “additional information” was ever requested, or it would have been provided. I “WD” bc @USGA had already made their decision after our exhaustive medical submission. Any claim to the contrary is pure fiction. https://t.co/6EfnBnkqaJ
— John Daly (@PGA_JohnDaly) June 26, 2018

The two-time Major winner clapped back at the governing body, claiming they never asked for the additional information in the first place. Daly tweeted, “I’m not going to mislead the media or my fans. No “additional information” was ever requested, or it would have been provided”.

He later mentions that the main reason for his withdrawal was USGA’s immutable decision. Big John wrote, ”I “WD” bc @USGA had already made their decision after our exhaustive medical submission. Any claim to the contrary is pure fiction”. This ignited Daly’s hatred for the USGA which has been visible even in recent years.

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The USGA has a policy of only proving carts to golfers who fall in the category of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As the ADA requires, the USGA will evaluate such requests on a case-by-case basis. Considering John Daly’s injury and revealing he falls under the ADA category, it seems he required a golf cart after all.

Do you think John Daly deserved a golf cart? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Watch This Story: John Daly Gets Emotional While Talking About the Biggest Loss of His Life

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Written by:

Abdul Bari is a Golf writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed his Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Abdul is currently pursuing his Master’s in the same. With great affection for the world of sports, this avid golf lover turned to the course at a young age.

Edited by:

Sreeda U M

A Controversial Moment Forced John Daly To Expose the USGA for Misleading and Spreading ‘Pure Fiction’ in 2018

No cart, No John Daly

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Daly exposes USGA