Little John was only 3 years old when John Daly first started teaching him golf, and now, 19 years later, Daly is one proud father. The duo have always shared a special bond, and that has kept Daly’s son motivated to pursue the same career as his father. While he has played in a professional tournament before, his week will mark another milestone in his career.

John Daly II, 22, turned professional earlier this week, posting a picture on his social media with his clubs. He will make his debut as a pro golfer at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Occunet Classic on a sponsor exemption. Daly II will tee off at the Tascosa Golf Club at 3:05 P.M. (ET) paired with Tegan Andrews and Andrew McLauchlan. While the youngster said he was fired up, his dad is also equally excited. And he is mighty proud, too.

Sharing a picture of his son from the La Paloma Course, Daly captioned his Instagram story with nine special words: “Couldn’t be more proud of you, bud (fist pump emoji)! Love you!” Daly has always been the biggest supporter of his son ever since the youngster started playing golf, and the Occunet Classic holds a special place in Long John’s career as well.

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This is the first time a Korn Ferry Tour event has returned to Amarillo after 1990, when John Daly, still one year away from his PGA Championship victory, finished runner-up to Lindy Miller. Daly shot three rounds of 67-67-68 for a T2 in what was then known as the Ben Hogan Amarillo Open. That was Daly’s second runner-up finish in consecutive weeks, and he would go on to claim the very next event, the Ben Hogan Utah Classic.

Alluding to that, Drew Blass, the tournament director, said, “I can’t imagine a better way for him [John Daly II] to start the next phase of his career in the same city as his father, John Daly, who finished runner-up in the Korn Ferry Tour event in 1990.”

Daly II, who is also a Razorback like his dad, said, “This will mark my first start as a professional golfer, and is something I’ve worked toward for a long time. I’m thankful for everyone who has supported me along the way and can’t wait to get out there and compete.”

Daly II got an exemption in the 2026 Puerto Rico Open earlier this year. But he was still an amateur. At that time, his father had shared how amazing it was to see his son play on the PGA Tour.

“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 last night, but he’s been playing great. He finished fourth last week, and I think Eric won,” Daly told a reporter.

Then, following his son’s victory at the 2025 Southern Amateur Championship, John Daly called himself “one proud daddy.” When Daly II secured his second collegiate victory of the season at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational, Long John thought there was “nothing better than seeing your son pull off a win.”

Daly and his son have become a mainstay in the PNC Championship as well. They won the tournament in 2021, and last year they tied for second. Though John Daly was one of the most popular golfers of his era, his son always saw him as a dad.

“Everybody in the golf world knows who my dad is, but I tell people this all the time: whether he had one major or 20 majors, to me, he’s just a dad; like, all we do is mess around with each other, have fun.”

After an impressive collegiate career at the University of Arkansas, John Daly II is officially a pro golfer now. He was once ranked No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Over the last 104 weeks, he has had two wins and ten top-10 finishes. He also helped his team qualify for the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship before his trip to the Tascosa Golf Club.

Even though John Daly II is playing a Korn Ferry Tour event, he isn’t officially a member of the Tour yet. So how can he earn a full-time card?

What will John Daly II have to do to earn a Korn Ferry Tour membership?

If he ends up finishing high enough on the points list to get into the top 100 of the KFT Points List, then he will earn a special temporary membership. Essentially, he will be granted multiple sponsor exemptions for KFT events for the remainder of 2026.

Moreover, Daly II will also earn a direct entry into the final stage of the PGA Tour Q-School later in the year. Having turned pro in the middle of the season, that is one amazing opportunity he wouldn’t want to miss.

Excited to be a part of the tournament, the 22-year-old revealed how “honored” he was to be making his debut in Texas. And it’s no surprise that his father was also quite emotional about it. If John Daly II can up his game at the Tascosa Golf Club this weekend, then he might become a regular on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2026. That will certainly make John Daly a lot prouder!