Share
Sports

John Daly Gets Rough News About His Golf Cart

Share

Golf, it has been said, is a good ride in a cart spoiled.

Except that’s not the saying, and it is that miscarriage of idiom that has ensnared 53-year-old John Daly in controversy once more.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, which oversees the British Open, denied his request to use a golf cart in the event this month at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

Daly wasn’t happy with the decision.

“Quite disappointed that [the R&A] don’t see it the same way our PGA of America and PGA Tour sees it,” he said Saturday on Twitter. “Different continents different laws???

Trending:
Federal Judge Has Bad News for Hunter Biden, Says There's Zero Evidence His Charges Are Politically Motivated

“As a proud Open Champion I know what the Open Championship represents and what a special tournament it is. I believe all who have earned the right to compete should be afforded that right to compete and give it their best shot. While I trust the R&A’s decision was made with good intentions, I could not disagree more with their conclusions.”

Daly said that although he needs knee surgery, he planned to “give it a shot in 2 weeks at Portrush. Fingers crossed I can make it thru the pain.”

Do you agree with the R&A's decision to deny Daly the use of a cart?

Days later, however, the R&A said in a statement that Daly has withdrawn from the tournament, according to Golf.com.

Daly was allowed the use of a golf cart for the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black but shot 75-76 and missed the cut.

The R&A, however, notably not bound by the Americans with Disabilities Act, said in a statement Saturday that it considers walking an integral part of the British Open.

“Having considered all of the relevant factors, the Championship Committee has decided to decline his request,” it said. “The R&A believe that walking the course is an integral part of the Championship and is central to the tradition of links golf which is synonymous with The Open. We must also ensure that, as far as possible, the challenge is the same for all players in the field.”

It’s hard to argue with the logic insofar as the average 18-hole PGA course is about 7,200 yards in total length, and there is a definite physical endurance component to walking well over four miles and standing while your playing partners take their turns on the course.

Related:
Packed NFL Stadium Sends Taylor Swift a Harsh Message, and Her Fans Aren't Happy

Furthermore, the Open course’s terrain offers unique challenges to the ambulatory golfer. Royal Portrush is notoriously hilly, and climbing those slopes is as much a part of completing a round there as is hitting the ball over them.

The club itself does not allow golf carts. As the R&A’s statement said, “The terrain at Royal Portrush is not suited to buggies and indeed the club itself does not permit their use. We have a serious concern that some parts of the course, where there are severe slopes and swales, would be inaccessible.”

The tournament committee did, however, acknowledge Daly’s contribution to golf history; he was the 1995 Open champion at St. Andrews in Scotland.

“This is not a decision we have taken lightly but we believe it is the right one for The Open,” the R&A said. “John has a special place in our hearts as a Champion Golfer and he will always be welcome at the Championship both at Royal Portrush and in future.”

The idea of anyone being able to eliminate a crucial part of playing at Royal Portrush, injury or no injury, was ultimately deemed unacceptable, and Daly’s request was denied.

On the bright side, Kevin Streelman, the first alternate, just got some great news about where he’ll be spending a weekend in mid-July, and it’s now up to him to make his chance count.

“There is now a space for you if you’d like to play?” the email reads, to which Streelman said in his tweet, “Yes please.”

The 148th Open Championship begins July 18.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
,
Share
Boston born and raised, Fox has been writing about sports since 2011. He covered ESPN Friday Night Fights shows for The Boxing Tribune before shifting focus and launching Pace and Space, the home of "Smart NBA Talk for Smart NBA Fans", in 2015. He can often be found advocating for various NBA teams to pack up and move to his adopted hometown of Seattle.
Boston born and raised, Fox has been writing about sports since 2011. He covered ESPN Friday Night Fights shows for The Boxing Tribune before shifting focus and launching Pace and Space, the home of "Smart NBA Talk for Smart NBA Fans", in 2015. He can often be found advocating for various NBA teams to pack up and move to his adopted hometown of Seattle.
Birthplace
Boston, Massachusetts
Education
Bachelor of Science in Accounting from University of Nevada-Reno
Location
Seattle, Washington
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Sports




Conversation