Like Father, Like Son: John Daly II Crushes Junior Tournament

In the last several decades, it’s hard to find a player that has been more unique than big John Daly. Even though Daly still plays on the PGA TOUR and the Senior Tour, we certainly don’t see as much of him as we used to. However, it looks like his son might be bursting in to fill the void.

For those who weren’t aware, Daly’s son, John II, has become a bit of a young golf prodigy in recent years. Little John came to the scene in 2017 when he and his dad put on a show at the PNC Father/Son Challenge. That same year, Daly II had a video go viral of him sinking a tournament-clinching putt that really showcased how good of a golfer he could become.

The news surrounding the 16-year-old has been a little quieter in the past few years, but as of this week he flew back onto the radar at the Dye National Junior Invitational. The event featured 33 of the top male and female junior golfers in the country and Little John was able to shine. After 36 holes,Daly II was tied for the lead and ended up finishing in a tie for 2nd, four shots behind the eventual winner.

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Even though he lost the tournament, Little John was extremely happy with his performance. “I played great,” Daly II told the Indianapolis Star. “It would have been cool to win, but I still have time. Just a couple bad three-putts both days, but other than that I played great.” It’s funny to see that Daly II believes putting was his downfall since that was the Achilles heel in his father’s game for years.

Location was another factor that made Little John’s performance even more special.  The event was played at the Crooked Stick, the same course where the elder Daly first shocked the world, winning the 1991 PGA Championship as the 9th alternate to get into the tournament. Little John said he watched the clips of his father every night to get himself ready to play the course himself and that seems to have helped him out.

While it’s easy to get excited about Little John’s future on the golf circuit, it’s important to remember that he’s just a teenager. But if he keeps progressing and playing as he has, we’ll definitely be hearing a lot more from the younger Daly in the near future.

Cover Image Via Twitter