
John Daly's worrying health update as he skips PGA Championship: ‘Waking up is a win for me'
Playing fast and loose has taken its toll on John Daly's health.
A 16th surgery earlier this year, this one an 'emergency' on his hand, and bladder cancer has not deterred the 59-year-old, however, as alarming as his health situation may be.
'I'm like Lazarus — I keep coming back from the dead,' Daly said. 'Waking up is a win for me.'
Advertisement
Daly is still determined to play on the senior PGA Tour Champions circuit, even skipping next week's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow to play on PGA Tour Champions' first major of the year, The Tradition in Birmingham, Ala.
3 John Daly after undergoing surgery in January 2025.
Instagram/John Daly
The 1991 PGA Championship winner does not understand why the two majors were scheduled for the same week, however.
'I can go there and miss the cut and get $6,000,' Daly said of the PGA Championship, which last year paid $4,000 to players who missed the cut. 'But I'm playing Birmingham. I love Regions. They're a great sponsor. But why are they scheduling Regions the same week as the PGA Championship, where I can see Brooks (Koepka) and all the guys?'
Advertisement
May typically is crowded for golf and the Regions Traditions didn't want to take this week because it's tough getting support on Mother's Day. The week after the PGA Championship is the Senior PGA Championship at Congressional.
Going earlier was tough with NASCAR at Talladega on April 27.
Daly also is not in top form after surgery on his left hand in January. He said his biggest issue remains getting through the ball on three-quarter shots — that and his putting. He finished at 27-over par last week at the Insperity Invitational, a tournament he won in 2017 and was runner-up in 2020.
Advertisement
3 John Daly watches his tee shot on 12 during the second round of the PGA Champions Insperity Invitational at The Woodlands Country Club on May 3, 2025.
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Daly isn't the only former PGA champion missing next week.
Rich Beem, who took down Tiger Woods at Hazeltine in 2002, chose not to play this year after a rough go at Valhalla last year. Beem now works for Sky Sports at the big events and felt he didn't have enough time to prepare this year for a lengthy course. Quail Hollow is 7,262 yards and plays as a par 71.
Among those who did not withdraw, Beem finished last at plus-20.
Advertisement
'I got my (butt) handed to me last year,' he said. 'Even though I had success at Bethpage (2019), you lose 10 yards, you might as well lose 100.'
He said he plans on skipping Aronimink next year but will return to the PGA Championship in 2027 in his home state of Texas, where he hopes dry and firm conditions will help.
3 John Daly
Getty Images
Davis Love III (recovering from heart surgery) and Y.E. Yang also are not in the PGA Championship next week.
— With AP
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Davante Adams Sends Clear Message on Relationship With Rams' Puka Nacua
Davante Adams Sends Clear Message on Relationship With Rams' Puka Nacua originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Rams have retooled quite quickly after they went 5-12 in 2022 just one season after they won the Super Bowl championship. Advertisement They have won 10 games and made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, and thanks to the addition of wide receiver Davante Adams and a cadre of young studs, they have high hopes for this fall and winter. Adams, a six-time Pro Bowler, could end up being an upgrade over the outgoing Cooper Kupp, and fellow Rams wideout Puka Nacua said that Adams is already having a positive effect on his new team. "The positive impact has already been felt from Davante," Nacua said. Adams, in turn, returned the favor on Instagram. "Special dude," his caption read. Davante Adams, Instagram Adams made his name as a member of the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2021 alongside future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. A second-round draft pick in 2014 out of Fresno State, the Northern California native grew into Rodgers' favorite target within a few years. Advertisement The Packers traded him to the Las Vegas Raiders prior to the 2022 campaign, and although the Raiders weren't successful with him, he continued to produce at a high level. New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Last year, Adams was shipped at midseason to the New York Jets, where he was reunited with Rodgers. Although the Jets went just 5-12, he still managed to catch 85 passes and post 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns. The Rams are hoping that at age 32, he still has plenty left in his tank. Assuming he does, he could turn them into a true dark horse team in an improved NFC and make the race for the conference more interesting. Related: Russell Wilson's Four-Word Message Catches Attention on Wednesday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Stefon Diggs Makes Strong Statement on Monday After Personal Event
Stefon Diggs Makes Strong Statement on Monday After Personal Event originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Lately, during OTAs, star wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been getting himself acclimated to the New England Patriots, his new team for the upcoming season. Advertisement He has looked to build chemistry with promising young quarterback Drake Maye, and he's hoping to bounce back after his 2024 season was cut short by a torn ACL. After the Patriots' OTAs ended last week, they started their mandatory minicamp on Monday. Diggs found some time to hold his annual day camp for kids, and he made a statement about the event on his Instagram account. "Family, Football, and FUN!!!!" he wrote. "This was year 4 of my annual Diggs day camp. It's crazy watching these kids grow up right before our eyes. Thankful for everyone who played a part in the camps success.. let's keep going ❤️❤️❤️❤️" It may be easy to forget after his frustrating and disappointing 2024 season, but before that, Diggs was one of the NFL's very best wideouts. Dec 31, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) is tackled by New England Patriots defensive end Lawrence Guy Konezny-USA TODAY Sports From 2018 to 2023, he posted over 1,000 receiving yards each year, and he was named to the Pro Bowl four straight times from 2020 to 2023. Once the Minnesota Vikings traded him to the Buffalo Bills in 2020, he helped make the Bills into bona fide Super Bowl contenders. Advertisement But there were rumors of a rift between him and the team during his final season in Buffalo, and he was dealt to Houston last offseason. In eight games last season, he posted 47 catches, 496 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He's now a member of a rebuilding New England squad that is looking to get out of the post-Tom Brady wilderness. It will likely miss the playoffs again this winter, but it is hoping Diggs can help guide it back to respectability not too long from now. Related: Davante Adams Sends Clear Message on Relationship With Rams' Puka Nacua This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Coco Gauff ‘Surprised' by Aryna Sabalenka's Comments After French Open Win
NEED TO KNOW Coco Gauff became the French Open champion after defeating opponent Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday, June 7 After their final face-off, Sabalenka told reporters that Gauff won the match because Sabalenka "made all of those mistakes" Sabalenka then walked back her comments the next day, but Gauff told Good Morning America she was surprised by her opponent's initial remarks Coco Gauff is responding to her French Open opponent Aryna Sabalenka's comments about their final face-off on Saturday, June 7. Sabalenka lost to Gauff, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4, during their final at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. After the game, Sabalenka, 27, told reporters that Gauff, 21, 'won the match not because she played incredible,' but because 'I made all of those mistakes.' Advertisement After facing critiques for her comments, Sabalenka issued a statement on Instagram the next day, saying, 'Yesterday was a tough one. Coco handled the conditions much better than I did and fully deserved the win.' "She was the better player yesterday, and I want to give her the credit she earned,' she wrote. 'You all know me… I'm always going to be honest and human in how I process these moments. I made over 70 unforced errors, so I can't pretend it was a great day for me." Then on Monday, June 9, Gauff appeared on Good Morning America and briefly chatted about Sabalenka's reaction to Gauff's win. "I know she was probably a bit emotional after that match and it was a tough loss," Gauff said, adding, "I was a little bit surprised about the comments and everything, but I'm gonna give her the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure it was an emotional day, emotional match." Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Coco Gauff at the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on June 07, 2025 in Paris, France. Coco Gauff at the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on June 07, 2025 in Paris, France. "When I stepped on the court, I was aware of the wind," Gauff said of the weather conditions on Saturday. Advertisement "We both practiced with the roof closed, so I honestly wanted the roof to be closed before the match because my quarterfinal and semi — it was closed, and I thought I was playing good tennis." Gauff continued, "But when I found out it was open, I saw how windy it was on the court, I knew it was gonna be an ugly win." "I had to force her to play that way and make a lot of balls and put those balls in the court,' Gauff said, acknowledging that Sabalenka is "a tough opponent" and a 'fighter.' Gauff was the first American woman to win the French Open since Serena Williams' 2015 victory. Advertisement "I never dreamt about winning a tournament before in my life and I still haven't, and that was the only time I had a dream about winning one," Gauff candidly told GMA. "I just always thought that this tournament, like, just had to happen. ... So I wrote it down and instilled in my head. It was one of the last things I said to myself before I went on the court." Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Aryna Sabalenka serves against Coco Gauff during the Women's Singles Final on Day 14 of the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on June 7, 2025 in Paris, France. Aryna Sabalenka serves against Coco Gauff during the Women's Singles Final on Day 14 of the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on June 7, 2025 in Paris, France. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. While Gauff is excited about her recent win, she's looking forward to Wimbledon, which will begin on Monday, June 30, and conclude on Sunday, July 13. Advertisement "I think the main piece of advice everyone's told me is to take it in and soak it in, and then when it's time to get back to work, get back to work," she said. "But I'm always looking ahead, so I am ready to get back and start training for Wimbledon and try to pull that off. But yeah, for now, I'm definitely trying to soak it in." Read the original article on People