Little John Daly’s golf impact
15-year-old teams for 2nd with dad in event
ORLANDO, Fla. – Little John Daly dresses garishly like his dad and can summon power easily like the old man. But the teen isn’t as vocal as the twotime major professional golf winner.
That’s OK because his clubs are doing the talking.
The 15-year-old had an impressive showing with his dad, John Daly, in the PNC Father/Son Challenge over the weekend at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. The duo led after the first round and finished in a tie for second Sunday. Davis Love III and Davis Love IV, who’s known as Dru, won the tournament by three shots.
The Dalys had finished tied for ninth in the event in 2016 and 2017.
In the aftermath of Sunday’s round, dad happily gushed over his son’s talent. “He’s so gifted with his hands around the greens, the way he putts,” the elder Daly said. “If you’re a great putter, you can score. Little John is a great ball-striker and great putter, so time will tell (about his potential).
“He was great last year and 10 times better this year. You can see the work he’s putting in, and it shows in the tournaments. … He has all the tools and the dad to back him, so it’s up to him.”
Retief Goosen, who played with the Dalys in Saturday’s opening round alongside his son Leo, was impressed, noting that Little John drove the ball extremely well.
The younger Daly is a sophomore at Montverde (Florida) Academy. He wants to go to Arkansas (just like dad), but any decision is a long way off with his graduation coming in 2021.
When asked whether he could see a path to playing pro golf someday, the younger John Daly replied, “Hopefully.”
He already hits his driver in the 270yard range with a powerful and more compact swing than his dad’s. The son is also quickly gaining on his father, a famously long-hitter.
“He hits it a lot (farther) now,” dad said. “He’s about one club, a half a club short of me now. Last year he was still two clubs short of me. So next year he’s going to be bombing it. He’ll probably be hitting it past me next year.” Results matter most.
Little John noted he’s won only one tournament in the last year.
But it was a dramatic one, as he drained a lengthy birdie putt in a fiveman playoff to capture last December’s IJGA Invitational at Harbour Town on the International Junior Golf Tour.
“They moved him out of the 14-15 bracket,” the father said.
“What he didn’t tell you because he’s pretty humble is that he’s playing against the 16- to 18-year-olds. He’s been finishing top-5, top-10 every tournament against kids that are older than him.”
The younger Daly attends Bishops Gate Golf Academy. He’s generally done with classes at Montverde by noon, which means he can be out playing golf by 12:30 p.m. on weekdays.
His work ethic is noteworthy. “He loves to practice a lot more than I did,” John Daly said. “He’s dedicated to it.”