John Daly II stands at 61 today, while Mason Howell is at 130 in the World Golf Amateur Rankings. Looking at the numbers, it would be hard to believe that Howell was the one who cut short Daly II’s US Amateur Championship run. John Dally II was the crowd favorite entering the 2025 US Amateur Championship. But unfortunately, Mason was not in the mood to lose on August 15. While the second-generation golfer was devastated because of the loss, his rise continues in the amateur circuit.

He recently won the Blessings Collegiate Invitational 2025 with a score of 3 under par to climb up the rankings. The proud Arkansas Razorbacks golf team took to Instagram to announce the win and Daly II’s recent standings. “With his win at @blessingscollegiate, @johndalyll continues to climb the rankings. He is up 10 spots in the World Amateur Golf Rankings @therandagolf and 19 spots in the @pgatouru rankings. 🐗⛳️,” reads the caption.

John was the only golfer to have an under-par score at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational 2025. He finished the first round with 1 above par and completed the second round at par, bringing the total to +1. But on the last hole, he managed a score of 3 under par to rise to the top of the leaderboard. He played the last hole with a lead of 2 strokes and maintained it to win the title. After this win, John Daly II stands at 31 in the PGA Tour University rankings and at 61 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Daly II was equally good at the US Amateur Championship, too. However, Mason was better that day. Even competitor Howell acknowledged John’s golf skills. “We knew John was going to make birdie. He’s such a good player—total respect for his game. I knew I needed a good one. He was coming off momentum on 17. We got pretty aggressive, and it paid off,” said Mason.

Before the US Amateur Championship, John Daly II won the 119th Southern Amateur Championship at the Blessings Golf Club with a 72-hole total of 278 (-10). He secured a massive 5-stroke victory over the runner-up, Garrett Endicott. His father shared a post captioned, “One Proud Daddy!!! 🏆 @sgagolf Champion 👊🏼.” Additionally, he had consistently finished in the top 10 in many amateur tournaments. That’s what made the loss even more heartbreaking for the golfer.

But he was quick to bounce back from it. Just days after his loss to Mason, John Daly II went up against 95 amateur golfers at The Bearcat Invitational 2025. Harris Barth, representing Furman, won the tournament, but he was chased by the runner-up Daly till the very end. Daly II finished the first round with an impressive 4 under par. However, he could only put in a par score for the second round, allowing Barth to take a massive lead. In the end, Daly II lost, but he got a significant boost on the WAGR leaderboard.

And now, just days after his amazing performance at The Bearcat Invitational 2025, John Daly II won the Blessings Collegiate Invitational 2025. His consistent performance and rise in amateur rankings have made his dad, John Daly, prouder of him.

John Daly on son John Daly II’s game

John Daly has repeatedly shown his pride in his son’s game on Instagram. He has uploaded numerous stories and posted several images of his son playing golf, accompanied by heartfelt captions.

The 2x major championship winner once uploaded a story featuring his son’s video playing at the US Amateur Championship with a text that read, “Let’s gooooo son! #wps” He also uploaded a story after Daly II won the Blessings Collegiate Invitational 2025. The video featured Daly in a white T-shirt and Daly II in a red T-shirt celebrating after the victory. The text on the story was, “Nothing better than seeing your son pull off a win.”

He also has a post on his Instagram where he discusses his son on the Like a Farmer podcast. The caption on the video reads, “Everyone asks me what was the greatest win I’ve ever had… That was when Little John and I won the PNC.” This shows how much it all means to John Daly. PGA Tour Champions also shared a post that quoted John Daly, who said, “I’m just so excited that he won… I’m always proud,” about his son.

John Daly II’s steady climb through the amateur ranks shows his determination and growing maturity as a golfer. With each tournament, he continues to build on his father’s legacy while carving out his own path in the sport.