‘I Went Home After That’: John Daly Once Revealed How His Brother’s Words Helped Him Stay on a Golf Event Despite Losing His Mother to Cancer

John Daly has been battling cancer for a couple of years now. Although he understands it now, he had trouble dealing with it when one of his favorite people, his mother, was diagnosed with the disease. Notably, unlike the golfer, she couldn’t withstand the fight and died after three months of taking treatment. 

“We always hoped that they may be able to cure it,” the two-time major champion said, according to golfchannel.com, after his mother’s death. “But when she fell asleep,” he added, “she just never woke up.” 

Lou Daly was 65 years old when she died of lung cancer. At the time, Daly was not with her as he was playing in the first round of the BMW Asian Open in Ta Shee, Taiwan. Notably, as a lovable son, the golfer wanted to withdraw from the event; however, his brother’s words had held him back from doing so. 

Read more: Is John Daly, 56, Cancer Free?

“My brother said, ‘just play. Just play, and we’ll have the funeral when you get back,'” he explained, according to www.news.com.au, how his brother Jamie Daly’s words made him continue to play at the Asian Open. “So I went home after that. But that was a rough week,” he added. 

John Daly wanted to win an event for his late mother

It has been almost two decades since John Daly won an event. However, he still was the longest hitter on the PGA Tour during the late 90s and early 2000s. Hence, dedicating an event to his late mother was a thoughtful thing he could offer to her after she died of cancer in 2002. 

“I’d like to win it for my mom,” said the 1991 PGA Championship winner, according to the Golf Channel. “And I’d like to do it here,” he added. Notably, the Dalys held the Funeral service for his mother, Lou Daly, on December 3, following her death on November 20, according to findagrave.com. And the Australian PGA was the first event, and the one Daly wanted to win for her following her demise. 

The 45-year-old wanted to win an event for his mother after she died battling cancer. However, he couldn’t win the Australian PGA Championship as he had planned. “It’s been tough to concentrate on golf since about July (because of her cancer),” he had said ahead of the event. Notably, Daly couldn’t even make the cut at the event at the Hyatt Regency Coolum. 

The golfer couldn’t win the game for his mother. However, it is the thought that counts and Daly could express his maximum love for her while promising her the win, although he couldn’t practice because of her illness. 

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