John Daly posted a disturbing image of his inflamed knee following his withdrawal from the Open Championship at Royal Troon on Friday.
Following his 11-over-par 82 on Thursday, the 1995 St Andrews champion withdrew from the tournament due to a knee injury.
The next day, the 58-year-old posted pictures of his injury on social media, expressing his regret for having to leave the competition early. The photos reveal a noticeable swelling on the side of Daly’s right knee as he applies ice to his bandaged leg.
I’m really bummed about missing out on @TheOpen because of a knee injury. Watching from afar just isn’t the same, but I know I gave it my all to try and push through,” Daly shared.
“Just came back from physio and decided to ice & rest it! Huge thanks to all my fans and @RandA for an amazing week at @RoyalTroonGC #IliotibialBandSyndrome.”
Disappointed on missing out @TheOpen b/c of a knee injury. watching from afar isn't the same, but know I tried my heart out to get thru it. Was at physio this morning and made the decision to ice & rest it! Thk u to all my fans and @RandA for a week @RoyalTroonGC… pic.twitter.com/1i8rt8eLPZ
— John Daly (@PGA_JohnDaly) July 19, 2024
The winner of the 1991 PGA Championship was scheduled to tee off for his second round at 1:37pm local time alongside Aaron Rai and amateur Santiago de la Fuente.
In addition to Daly, Ernie Els also pulled out of the tournament due to a back injury. Meanwhile, Romain Langasque decided to withdraw from the competition after completing seven holes in the first round.
The American golfer has faced challenges with his knees previously and often opts for a cart during the PGA Championship and PGA Tour Champions tournaments. Daly has undergone multiple surgeries on both knees, with a left knee replacement in December 2022.
‘Personally, I’ve probably had more surgeries than Tiger,’ Daly mentioned in 2022. ‘They just keep piling up over the past five years. But with this metal in my knee, I feel like I’ve got more metal than the Bionic Man.’
Daly’s decision to withdraw is due to the fact that he still has two opportunities to participate in The Open before his exemption runs out, with his last chance to compete in golf’s oldest major being at Royal Birkdale in 2026.
Daly has not advanced past the cut in The Open since his T18th finish at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 2012.
The experienced golfer has participated in 11 tournaments on the PGA Tour Champions circuit this season, achieving a single top-25 finish. Despite securing victory at the PNC Championship alongside his son John Daly II in 2021, his most recent individual win dates back to May 2017 at the Insperity Invitational.
Leave a Reply