John Daly has doubled down on his earlier criticisms of the United States Golf Association after the governing body’s decision to deny him a cart for this week’s U.S. Senior Open telling USA Today that he will never play in another USGA-run event again.
“Just not worth it to me,” Daly said.
After being denied a cart for the #USSeniorOpen, John Daly has pledged he'll never play in a USGA event again: https://t.co/asRPSScbuX pic.twitter.com/MYsfJlhPTa
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) June 27, 2018
Daly’s gripes with the USGA are longstanding and he’s made similar claims in the past. After the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst — famous for Payne Stewart’s win over Phil Mickelson as well as Daly hitting a moving ball on the eighth green — Daly originally swore off USGA events.
“It’s not worth it. This is my last U.S. Open – ever,” Daly said at the time. “I’ve had it with the USGA and the way they run their tournaments. The USGA loves to embarrass guys who play in their tournaments.”
Daly was back the very next year at Pebble Beach, however, as well as in 2002 at Bethpage Black and in 2005 at Pinehurst once again.
Daly’s latest gripe came when he requested a cart for this week’s U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor outside Denver. Speaking out on social media, Daly said that due to “deteriorating osteoarthritis” and because the USGA would not allow him to use a cart despite his falling under the Americans with Disabilities Act, he was forced to withdraw.
The USGA denied that Daly went through the proper paces — they said they asked for more information, a claim he called “pure fiction” — and chose to withdraw.
Instead of playing this week, Daly reportedly plans to have amniotic fluid injected into his injured right knee with the hope of playing in next week’s Greenbrier Classic on the PGA Tour.
