‘Bad Boy’ John Daly’s Unique History at the Valspar Championship Explored

Published 03/24/2024, 9:00 AM EDT

The JC Penney Classic, which was replaced by the Valspar Championship, was once popular for being a mixed-team event. The JC Penney Classic began it 1960 and at that time, it was neither a PGA Tour nor a European Tour. It went on for 23 years before taking up its new name and transforming into a PGA Tour event. Golf’s Bad Boy John Daly has an interesting history with this championship and also triumphed the tournament in 1999. He was teamed up with Laura Davies that year. The pair defeated Paul Azinger and Se Ri Pak.

Davies and Daly teamed up to score 7-under-par 64 on Sunday in modified alternate-stroke play. They came from five shots behind and forced a playoff. The duo defeated Azinger and Pak on the third hole of the playoff to claim the final title in the mixed-team event. Davies and Daly earned a check for $440,000 for their victory. Recently, on a social media feed, the memory has been shared to cherish that incredible game.

A social media account called ‘Society of Golf Historians’ cherished the glorious moment. They shared a beautiful picture of the winners from the JC Penney Classic, where the winners were not sure about their chances of claiming the title.

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When the pundits talk about improving professional golf they often mention more mixed team events.
Did you know the JC Penney Classic, which is now the Valspar at Innisbrook was once a mixed team event. Last played in 1999 and won by John Daly & Laura Davies. @PGATOUR @LPGA pic.twitter.com/C1jkipYOpS
— Society of Golf Historians (@SHistorians) March 23, 2024

Daly was suspicious of him winning until the game got interesting. He dropped in a 35-foot birdie at 16, followed by one shot where Azinger and Pak bogeyed the same hole. Afterward, Davies rolled in a 6-footer at 18 for birdie, tuned into a tie with Azinger and Pak at 24-under. The other one came as a 30-foot birdie on the third playoff hole, where Pak tried to save the game for her team but couldn’t make it from 25 feet and missed wide.

Furthermore, Davies dropped an 8-footer during the second playoff hole to get her team ahead of the rivals. Daly couldn’t stop himself from praising the performance of his mate; he said, “If she ever says she can’t putt again, I’m coming after her. Three of the last four holes, she was clutching.”

Interestingly, in the history of the tournament, this never happened before when a team was leading in the final round spin-off and failed to win. The loss came as a shock for Paul Azinger and Se Ri Pak; it seems like the continuation of a putter overtook them badly. The losing team members did not make a single bogey in their first three rounds of play, then had two on the way to a final-round 69. “When you start the day with a four-shot lead, you want to win,” Azinger said. Unfortunately, they faced defeat on the greens that day, but they also became a part of a historic game!

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However, the golfer was seen again at the championship in 2014 but displayed only a disappointing performance.

John Daly’s last appearance at the Valspar Championship

2014 marked Daly’s last time at the Valspar Championship. He shot his career’s worst round on the second day, 19 over 90. The two-time major champion was unfortunately snake-bitten on one of Copperhead’s finishing Snake Pit holes with an octuple-bogey 12 on the par-4 16th hole. “I didn’t give up,” Daly said. “I tried.” He took a total of 70 putts in two days and started with a water-splashed tee. The 47-year-old then took three chips to reach the green and one-putted for a 12. He then failed to make the cut at the event.

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What are your thoughts about Daly’s unique win at the Valspar Championship? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Nikki Sharma is a Golf Writer at EssentiallySports. With six years of journalistic experience, she has mastered the art of covering niches. An avid LPGA follower herself, Nikki has a knack for all things female in golf.

Edited by:

Riya Singhal

‘Bad Boy’ John Daly’s Unique History at the Valspar Championship Explored

John Daly’s last appearance at the Valspar Championship

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