Imago
December 22, 2024, Orlando, Florida, USA: John Daly R and son John Daly II wait on the 18th green during the final round of the PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. Orlando USA – ZUMAw109 20241222_fap_w109_065 Copyright: xDebbyxWongx
Imago
December 22, 2024, Orlando, Florida, USA: John Daly R and son John Daly II wait on the 18th green during the final round of the PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. Orlando USA – ZUMAw109 20241222_fap_w109_065 Copyright: xDebbyxWongx
A wave of fans might wait in line for a single piece of advice from legends like John Daly and Tiger Woods. But his own son chooses to take a different route when he needs some advice. That’s just classic father-son bonding, which both of them can pull each other’s legs on.
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Talking to Jason and Travis Kelce on New Heights, Daly said, “He’ll listen to everybody but me. It’s the same. It’s a father-son thing now. But if I see him doing something wrong, I watch him a few tournaments, I’ll tell the coach. Little John will go, ‘Dad, coach really helped me.’ … I say, ‘Okay, son. That’s part of their job.’”
He even dragged Charlie Woods into the picture as he recollected the events at the PNC Championship. Daly claimed that Woods would heed the 59-year-old’s advice, while his own son would look up to the 15x major champion for guidance. But they won’t listen to their dads. Nevertheless, in 2021, Team Daly famously set a tournament scoring record to defeat a returning Charlie and Tiger Woods.
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John Daly II has spent a long time playing with his father. The 2021 PNC victory was proof enough that these two will be a duo to watch out for. But the younger Daly is essentially stepping into his father’s footsteps. He participated in the Dye National Junior Invitational at Indiana’s Crooked Stick Golf Club in 2020, the very turf on which John Daly won his first PGA Championship in 1991.
As of now, John Daly II is representing the University of Arkansas, which is also his father’s alma mater. He’s already made his professional debut at the PGA Tour at Puerto Rico Open last month. He didn’t just participate in the event. He almost dominated the field. But in the end, he finished T37 with rounds of 70, 67, 70, and 74.
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December 22, 2024, Orlando, Florida, USA: John Daly L and son John Daly II shake hands on the 18th green after the final round of the PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. Orlando USA – ZUMAw109 20241222_fap_w109_074 Copyright: xDebbyxWongx
Daly admitted that Little John is able to outdrive him now, but the veteran and the dad in him will always use an opportunity to banter with his son regarding the game.
“He hits it about 50 past me now,” Daly said. “But he still can’t outchip me. He hates it when I one-arm him, and I one-arm chip him. He’s got two hands on, He’s so mad at me.”
Ultimately, this stubbornness might just be the exact trait John Daly II needs to succeed in the professional ranks. For decades, the elder Daly built a legacy on doing things his own, unconventional way, completely ignoring the traditional norms of the country club establishment.
And now, as his son prepares to take over the golf world, Daly expressed his pride in his son.
John Daly is proud of his son’s debut on the PGA Tour
Talking to the media regarding his son’s stance at the 2026 Puerto Rico Open, Daly said, “It was awesome. He led the tournament for six holes there on Saturday, and he kept it going. He just had a bad back nine his last night, but he’s been playing great. He finished fourth last week, and I think Eric won. The Hogs won in Houston, so they got a really good golf team.”
“You saw the interview that he has done, he said, ‘I’m going to stick to this golf team because I think we’re pretty good.’ And they are. If he plays good the next few events and the Hogs keep winning, I look for them to, they’ve got a really good shot at winning the nationals.”
And as Little John transitions from his standout collegiate career at Arkansas to the grueling reality of the PGA Tour, carving his own path proves the apple truly hasn’t fallen far from the tree. On top of that, he has significantly improved since joining the Razorbacks. He won the 2025 Southern Amateur Championship, and a few months later, won the 2025 Blessings Collegiate Invitational. And more laurels are yet to come. Can John Daly II rise higher in the ranking?
Written by
Edited by
Afreen Kabir