John Daly built his legacy by showing up as a 9th alternate at the 1991 PGA Championship and winning; his son, John Daly II, is building his in Puerto Rico. After R3 at the Puerto Rico Open, the 22-year-old is 9-under in 8th position, just 3 shots behind the leader, Ricky Castillo. On Sunday, he might do something that even golf’s greatest, like Tiger Woods, couldn’t do.

If Daly Jr. outshines Castillo and others, he would become just the ninth amateur ever to win on the PGA Tour, following in the footsteps of Nick Dunlap, who did it at the 2024 AmEx for the first time in over 3 decades. Even Tiger Woods, who turned professional in 1996 after a decorated amateur career, never won a PGA Tour event as an amateur golfer. Daly Jr.’s HOF father also didn’t, by the way.

If John Daly II wins, he will join the exclusive list below:

• Nick Dunlap (2024): The American Express
• Phil Mickelson (1991): Northern Telecom Open
• Scott Verplank (1985): Western Open
• Doug Sanders (1956): Canadian Open
• Gene Littler (1954): San Diego Open
• Frank Stranahan (1945, 1946, 1948): Multiple wins, including the 1945 Durham War Bond Tournament, 1946 Kansas City Invitational, 1946 Fort Worth Invitational, and 1948 Miami Open
• Fred Haas (1945): Memphis Invitational
• Cary Middlecoff (1945): North & South Open

He shot 70 on Saturday at Grand Reserve Golf Club and made an eagle on the 11th and saved 15 pars in blustery conditions, reinforcing that he belongs there. The 22-year-old said after the round that the wind made it one of the toughest days of the week. He admitted the bogey on 18, his first in a long stretch, was frustrating, but he kept his calm. The uprising golfer has barely looked at the leaderboard all week, which, for a college golfer competing in his first Tour event, is a telling sign of composure.

Well, if John Daly II wins, he achieves his first PGA Tour win and keeps the father-son duo in a rare group. Only 10 other father-son pairs have won at golf’s highest level, and the list stretches back to Willie Park and Willie Park Jr. in the late 1880s, an era that predates the PGA Tour entirely. The more recognizable modern pairs include Jay and Bill Haas, Craig and Kevin Stadler, Al and Brent Geiberger, and Bob and Kevin Tway.

Sunday isn’t going to be an easy one. Castillo leads at 12 under, and 18-year-old pro Blades Brown sits just one shot back in a tie for second after a third-round 69. But Daly II has already achieved something his father never did simply by being in this position; a win would make it unforgettable.

John Daly II is ranked 54th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. He reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club last summer, won the Southern Amateur, and claimed the Blessings Collegiate Invitational in the fall. He came to Grand Reserve Golf Club with an incredible mindset powering him.

John Daly II’s relaxed mindset has defined his debut week

After Round 1, most rookies on their first PGA Tour start would find themselves glued to the range, replaying every shot and every missed putt. Daly II, however, had a completely different approach.

After shooting a 70 on Thursday, he told reporters he was skipping practice and heading to the beach to do absolutely nothing. It was the kind of response you would expect from a ten-year Tour veteran, not a 22-year-old college senior making his debut.

He came back Friday and shot 67. He then went bogey-free for 17 holes in round 3 before making a closing bogey on 18. The beach, it turns out, was exactly the right call.

Something is telling about a golfer who can switch off completely in the middle of a career-defining week and still produce that kind of golf. Daly II has not been watching the leaderboard either, something he admitted after Saturday’s round. For a college golfer three shots off the lead heading into Sunday, that level of calm is not common.