John Daly is one of the game’s more flamboyant characters and, despite being a two-time Major winner, it’s perhaps some of the other on-course actions that have made the American known to fans and viewers around the world.
Going into the Regions Tradition, the first Major on the PGA Tour Champions schedule, the 56-year-old had been struggling for form, with Daly shooting just a sole round in the 60s throughout 2022. However, at Greystone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama, the American produced a four-under-par 68 to begin the first round of the tournament.
On the second day, he began on the back nine and, after three birdies on the 13th, 16th and 18th, Daly was going along rather well. That score increased further, with another birdie on the second, his 11th, putting the American at eight-under-par for the tournament.
But, in a blow-up which we have seen from Daly previously, he would finish disappointingly with a double-bogey on both the seventh and ninth, his 16th and 18th, to finish level-par for the day.
Daly drives a golf cart across the 11th hole during the second round of the Regions Tradition
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Although it was a poor finish, the 56-year-old was still lying in 16th place and just seven shots back from leader, Steve Stricker. Not only that, but there were still 36 holes of golf to play, plenty of time for Daly to catch and make up ground.
However, as it turned out, we will not be seeing ‘Long John’ over the weekend, as it was revealed that Daly had been disqualified for not signing his scorecard following the conclusion of the second round.
In 541 career PGA Tour starts, Daly was DQ’d five times, with the last being at the 2003 Valero Texas Open. However, this is the first time Daly has been disqualified from a PGA Tour Champions event after 102 career starts.
Previously, the American has been disqualified for failing to sign his scorecard. At the 2002 Australian PGA Championship, Daly threw his putter into the lake by the 18th green before walking off and packing his bags. Although he failed to sign his scorecard, he would have missed the cut by eight strokes.