John Daly withdraws from FedEx St. Jude Classic
John Daly’s return to TPC Southwind this week didn’t feature the happy ending he badly wanted.
The PGA Tour announced Friday morning that the local fan favorite withdrew from the FedEx St. Jude Classic ahead of the tournament’s second round.
Daly finished Thursday’s first round at +9 and was scheduled to tee off at 7:10 a.m. Friday. The 52-year-old Dardanelle, Ark., native said earlier this week he had been dealing with a right knee injury, but was determined to play through it because this could be his last professional outing at TPC Southwind.
Daly was appearing in the FedEx St. Jude Classic for the first time since 2014 on a sponsor’s exemption. He mostly competes on the PGA’s Champions Tour these days.
But Daly knew the impending arrival of the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational next year, in which the field is limited to the world’s top golfers, meant he likely wouldn’t qualify moving forward.
Daly lived in the Southwind community surrounding the golf course for 19 years and still owns a home beyond the driving range that he rents out. He considers TPC Southwind his home course and called Memphis golf fans “family.”
“I feel like this is going to be the last hurrah,” Daly said in an interview Monday. “Unless something miraculous happens and I go out and do something stupid and win a major or something, which in this body, I don’t think is going to be happening.”
“It’s just going to be sad that this might be my last time ever playing here.”