Golf icon John Daly is set to swing back into the competitive scene on the PGA Champions Tour later this week, not long after he underwent emergency surgery for a hand injury.
Daly’s followers were left stunned earlier in January when he shared an image from his hospital bed post-operation. “Emergency hand surgery… thankful (it) went great and Doc McClimans for taking care of me. Be back playing in no time!” wrote the past Open winner on social media.
True to his promise, the seasoned golfer is returning to the fray just two months following his medical ordeal, ready to compete at the Hoag Classic held at Newport Beach Country Club. In a recent video posted online, Daly spoke about getting back into the game: “It’s good to be back. It’s been a little brutal, but the hand’s about 80 percent. So figured I’d come here. I love playing in the Hoag Classic. Every year, the guys are so great. So we’ll see what happens.”
The champion with two major titles under his belt also opened up about the extent of his injury history, revealing a staggering history of 16 surgeries in the last four years due to tangled tendons. “[The doctor] doesn’t understand how I played last year,” Daly, who hails from California, further mentioned.
“But he put it back, attached it to the forefinger or something. 16 surgeries in four years, I’ve lost count pretty much.” While sidelined from golf, Daly chimed in on the sport’s politics as the PGA Tour discussed a potential partnership with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Following the announcement of a tentative agreement in June 2023, talks between the PGA Tour and the PIF aimed at resolving the division in the world of golf have been ongoing. Daly was clear about his stance, voicing that bridging the two entities would be beneficial: “If those guys want to go to LIV and they’re going to pay them a lot of money,” he conceded.
“You’re going to play 29 tournaments because you have to play 15 on our tour, and you got to play 14 on theirs. That’s the end of the solution. Let’s go play golf. Golf is a global game and everybody should have the opportunity to play. You’re born, you live, and what is it for? To make sure you take care of your family.
“LIV Golf is taking care of some people’s families, and that’s the way I look at it.”
Daly went on to express gratitude towards President Donald Trump‘s involvement in the ongoing discussions, stressing the value of coming to an amicable resolution: “I just want Jay, and thank God that Daddy Trump is getting involved because I want it to work out,” emphasizing his personal connections across both tours: “Because I have friends on the PGA Tour and the LIV Tour, and I want them all to just play. The best players need to play.”
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
