WHEREAS Scottie Scheffler AND Rory McIlroy are taking it out for $4 million on Arnold Palmer’s InvitationalAnother PGA Tour event will conclude this week. And that tournament features a major story of its own: the PGA Tour debut of John Daly II.
of 22-year-old son of golf legend John Daly played the first Tour round of his career Thursday at the 2026 Puerto Rico Open.
Daly got off to a great start on day one. But unlike many of his professional golf peers, who often practice and hit balls after playing on Tour, the younger Daly had a very different plan for his post-round routine, as he shared Thursday evening.
John Daly II shines in tour debut at Puerto Rico Open … then shares unique post-round routine
While he is still an amateur and plays as a senior on the University of Arkansas golf team, Daly is no stranger to golf fans.
He regularly does it alongside his father at the PNC Championship. The Daly men even won the 2021 PNC, top runners-up Tiger and Charlie Woods.
And while his current amateur ranking is 54th, Daly has shown flashes of brilliance outside of the PNC. At the 2025 US Amateur at the Olympic Club, Daly reached the quarterfinals.
But this week at the Puerto Rico Open, he’s competing against Tour pros in an official event for the first time. With all that in mind, Thursday’s opening round couldn’t have gone much better.
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What John Daly II did (and didn’t) learn from his famous father
Josh Sens
Daly shot a 2-under 70 in Round 1 at Grand Reserve Golf Club. The soon-to-be pro sounded like a veteran when discussing his game in a brief on-camera interview after his round.
“It was good. I got off to a good start, made a nice birdie on 1. Tight up and down on 2, made about 20 feet for par, which is good, it set me up,” Daly said. “And then I just hit some good shots. I feel like I left some out there, but I just made it with some good saves and a nice putt on 16.”
Daly even sounded a bit like his famous father when talking about his playing partner Neal Shipley.
“It was fun. I love Neal, it was great. I met him for the first time yesterday. He’s a good guy and I really enjoyed playing with him,” Daly said.
Another similarity between Daly II and Daly I? Neither is afraid to do things their own way. Daly II proved that in his closing remarks Thursday night.
When asked what he plans to work on after his round to keep his positive momentum going, Daly II admitted that instead of working out or lifting, he’ll be taking advantage of one of Puerto Rico’s greatest resources: the beach.
“I’d say I’d go hit some balls, but I’m a little tired, so I’ll probably go to the beach and probably do absolutely nothing for the rest of the day,” Daly II said with a laugh.
