We have all heard tales of brave professionalism at the heart of intense sporting moments. This one is a similar yet unlikely story, in terms of persisting on with a game despite the personal loss. Popular golfer, John Daly, had to play through his mother’s death at the 2011 Australian Open. He didn’t disappoint, at least for the duration he was on the course.

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John Daly’s summer down under in 2011

John Daly has been invited to the Australian Open multiple times during his career. While he wasn’t able to win any titles, he certainly made some noise down under. After creating much fanfare in 2009 and 2010 for his antics off the field, Daly showed up once again at the Lakes Golf Club in Sydney amidst a gloomy scenario back at home. His mother, Lou Daly, passed away a few days before the Open began, which sent Daly into a dark abyss.

Read More: A Furious John Daly Once Took Extreme Measures Against an Annoying Fan By Smashing His Camera into Pieces

“I actually lost her like three or four days (before the Australian Open), it was like the Monday of Australia,” he said. He had discussed whether to return home for the funeral, but his brother insisted him to keep going. “I talked to my family at that time, and my brother said, ‘just play’. ‘Just play, and we’ll have the funeral when you get back’.”

How did John Daly fare at the 2011 Australian Open?

Daly had a nightmarish performance, struggling with his shot selections all day long. Things started to get worse on the 10th hole, where he was on the receiving end of an automatic two-stroke penalty for hitting someone else’s golf ball in the bunker. However, nothing could beat his antics on the next hole.

On the challenging course, Daly smashed six to seven balls in the water hazard – unheard of in recent years. A clearly miffed Daly then grabbed hold of his son and called it a day. He signed his scorecard and headed for the exit, saying “I’m off”.

The incident added to the John Daly saga at the Aussie Open but left a very bad taste on the Australian Open’s tournament director, Trevor Herden. He called out the PGA and the European Tours to reprimand the 2-time Major Championship winner. PGA Australia chief executive, Brian Thorburn, echoed Herden’s complaints, which effectively sealed Daly’s invitation for future Australian Open stints.

Watch this story: John Daly reveals the real reason why he bought a golf course and his astounding personal best there