In the Wake of Phil Mickelson’s Words, John Daly Beams With Pride Over Son for Achieving Something He ‘Never Did’

John Daly is just a proud dad. When his son, little John, qualified for the coveted US Amateur Championship, the older Daly was quick to put up a congratulatory post, celebrating his son’s brilliant feat. “Congrats to my son @johndalyll …he’s headed to @hazeltinenational for the US Amateur great playing!! Love you son!” he wrote. And just recently, it has been an incredible week in the Daly household. You see, John Daly II clinched his first-ever collegiate title. So, obviously, praises were in order. They still are.

As Daly Jr. secured his victory at the Columbia Spring Invitational hosted by the Columbia Men’s Golf Team, one of the first voices of support for Daly II came from his dad.  The fan-favorite pro quickly posted a story on Instagram celebrating his son’s success, saying, “Congrats to my son @johndaly11 for winning the 36 hole @culionsmgolf #soproud.” He even added a few shining animated stars to express his pride. The 36-hole event, which took place over one day, saw the youngster oust golfers from Dartmouth, Yale, Columbia, and others with a brilliant 1 under-par finish. After a three-way tie, he was victorious through a scorecard playoff.

Now competing at the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational, he’s still a proud dad who cannot stop speaking so fondly of his son. The 2x major winner spoke about watching his son’s competition closely and how he felt excited seeing him turn up clutch in the tournament. “I was watching it very closely and I was texting Coach, I’m going, ‘I hope you guys win,’ John Daly shared in an interview with the PGA Tour Champions.

He then recalled the moment his son pushed for victory, shooting 6 under in his last 5 holes. This last outburst of pure golf, helped him clinch the title and for that, Daly was full of praise for his son.“He birdied 16, eagled 17, and birdied 18, and then I texted Coach. I said, ‘If he birdies the last two you might have a chance to win, and the team,’” and he did, leading his time to the win. And that is when John Daly mentioned that his son has already taken strides in the world of golf that he never was able to.

You see, John Daly, who attended the University of Arkansas, himself never won a title for the Razorbacks, so to see his son clinch the victory was very fulfilling for him. He explained, “I never did. I never won a tournament in college. I had a second in Acapulco or something.” 

When asked if Daly sees his son doing big things, he very humbly mentioned, “That’s up to him. You know I think any time you win, you get some confidence, And I think that’s what Little John needed. He’s been getting off to some bad starts, but he’s been fighting back and helping the team a lot. So, if he just keeps doing that, he’s a fighter. And you know, God bless him. I am just so excited that he won. I celebrated Hard Rock Casino Monday night.” A proud dad, indeed!

As Daly II got praise for doing something his dad never did, Phil Mickelson also congratulated the young Arkansas golfer on his achievement.

Phil Mickelson congratulates John Daly II

One of the greats of the game, Mickelson and Daly share a close bond with each other. They have been actively sharing the field during the 90s and early 2000s and have rubbed each other’s shoulders a lot of times. The duo has eight major titles between them and is known for their winning mentality on the course. Despite their two different approaches to the game, they have found a common ground to agree on  – golf.

“That’s awesome. Great playing and congratulations on your first win! (It sure wasn’t happening against Grant and me :)” Mickelson addressed the young Daly’s victory with a cheeky reference to his new video. Both Daly and Daly II played an 18-hole round with Phil Mickelson and Grant Horvat for the second episode of the 2 v 2 series for Mickelson’s new YouTube channel.

Mickelson and Horvat won the round, although it was more of a friendly banter-filled occasion, rather than a heavy, competition-laden, tense affair. The round of golf was an experience for the younger Daly, who got to spend some time with Phil Mickelson, who was synonymous with victory on the PGA Tour at one point.

With so much positive support around him, Daly II has no excuse to stop the grind. Do you expect him to grace the PGA Tour circuit with a charismatic presence and winning mentality like his father once did?