My9Iron · Professional Golf Bio
John Daly II Bio
Arkansas standout, Southern Amateur champion, emerging professional and Grant Horvat’s YGT Stop 2 wildcard.
John Daly II at a Glance
Grant Horvat Selected John Daly II for YGT Stop 2
John Daly II joined Your Golf Tour as Grant Horvat’s wildcard for Stop 2 at Rams Hill Golf Club in California. The selection was revealed in the August 31, 2026 episode on Grant Horvat Golf.
The YGT appearance arrives during Daly II’s first season as a professional, after a college and amateur run that included two Arkansas individual wins, the 2025 Southern Amateur title, a U.S. Amateur quarterfinal and a strong PGA Tour debut while still an amateur.
Follow the full YGT 2026 teams, wildcards, schedule and results.
Watch John Daly II Join Team Grant at YGT Stop 2
The Rams Hill opener includes Grant Horvat’s wildcard reveal and Daly II’s introduction into Team Grant.
Source: Grant Horvat Golf, YGT Stop 2 Episode 1, published August 31, 2026.
From Limited Starts to One of Arkansas’s Best Scoring Careers
Daly II followed his father to the University of Arkansas, but his college path was not an instant success story. After limited early tournament action and a redshirt season, his game developed into a major part of the Razorbacks lineup.
During 2024–25 he led Arkansas with a 72.21 scoring average and won the Columbia Spring Invitational for his first collegiate individual title. He later won the 2025 Blessings Collegiate Invitational and finished his Arkansas career with a 71.967 scoring average, sixth-best in program history.
Arkansas also credits Daly II with four SEC Academic Honor Roll selections. His progression from a player fighting for lineup opportunities to a multiple-time college winner is one of the defining parts of his golf story.
John Daly II Won the 119th Southern Amateur
Daly II captured the 2025 Southern Amateur Championship at Blessings Golf Club with rounds of 70, 71, 69 and 68 for a 10-under total of 278. He won by five shots and was the only player in the field to shoot under par in all four rounds.
The victory added a major elite-amateur title to a résumé that was already trending sharply upward through his Arkansas career.
A Quarterfinal Run at Olympic Club
Later in 2025, Daly II advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur at Olympic Club. The run reinforced that his Southern Amateur victory was part of a broader competitive breakthrough rather than an isolated result.
Contending in Puerto Rico While Still an Amateur
Daly II received a sponsor exemption into the 2026 Puerto Rico Open for his PGA Tour debut. Still officially an amateur, he shot 70, 67, 70 and 74 for a 7-under total of 281 and finished tied for 37th.
The final position understates how prominently he featured during the week. Daly II moved into contention during the third round and entered Sunday only three shots off the lead before a closing 74.
Timeline distinction: The Puerto Rico Open was his PGA Tour debut as an amateur. He did not begin his professional career until June 2026.
John Daly II Turned Professional in June 2026
After graduating from Arkansas, Daly II began his professional career in June 2026 at the OccuNet Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour. He finished tied for 55th with rounds of 74, 64, 73 and 69 for an even-par total of 280 and earned $4,190.
He later played the Albertsons Boise Open in August. Through those two professional Korn Ferry starts, official PGA Tour records show one made cut, a best finish of T55 and $4,190 in earnings.
Daly II had already experienced Korn Ferry competition through an earlier sponsor exemption while still an amateur, but My9Iron keeps those amateur appearances separate from his professional record.
The PNC Championship Put “Little John” in Front of Golf Fans
Daly II has competed alongside his father, two-time major champion John Daly, at the PNC Championship for years. Team Daly won the 2021 championship at a then event-record 27 under for 36 holes and also recorded runner-up finishes in 2018, 2022 and 2025.
The PNC introduced many golf fans to John Daly Jr. or “Little John,” but his subsequent Arkansas victories, Southern Amateur championship, U.S. Amateur run and professional results have established a competitive résumé beyond his father’s fame.