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John Daly hospitalized, undergoes emergency surgery

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•01/14/25•

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John Daly
Photo by Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY Sports

PGA Tour icon John Daly was hospitalized this week and underwent emergency surgery, he announced via social media. He said it was an operation on his hand, but he plans to be back on the course soon.

Daly posted a photo from the hospital on his Instagram story and confirmed it was a successful surgery. It’s unclear what led to the trip to the hospital, but it sounds like he’ll return to the links in the near future.

There was an outpouring of support for Daly, and he acknowledged it in his post. He also thanked the doctors for taking care of him at a Tampa hospital.

“Emergency hand surgery,” Daly wrote on his story. “Thankful [it] went great & Doc McClimans for taking care of me. … Be back playing in no time!”

In a post on his Instagram profile, Daly posted the same picture and again acknowledged McClimans for the successful surgery. He also had a message for those who reached out, and the comments were full of support for him.

“Thank you to Doc McClimans for getting me mended back!” Daly wrote. “Should be hitting em again soon! Thx for all the messages.”

Daly, 58, is a PGA Tour fan-favorite, known for his eccentric styles and also drinking and smoking on the course. He won two Major Championships during his career – the 1991 U.S. Open and 1995 The Open Championship. His last Tour victory came in 2004 at the Buick Invitational, and he teamed up with his son John Daly II for back-to-back victories at the PNC Championship in 2020 and 2021.

Daly played in this past year’s PGA Championship, but had to withdraw due to a thumb injury. That was one of two appearances on the Tour, and he currently competes on the Champions Tour.

Daly’s golf career started at Arkansas, where he played from 1984-87, and he qualified for the 1986 U.S. Open as an amateur. He still wears his Razorbacks pride, attending football games and also keeping a commemorative club in his bag. During the PNC Championship this past year, he had a Bettinardi DASS Zero putter with an Arkansas logo on it as he competed alongside his son in the event. The club also had “Wooo, Pig, Sooie” engraved on the bottom.