John Daly Requests Buggy For Open Championship

The American needs a buggy due to a bad knee

John Daly Requests Buggy For Open Championship
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The American needs a buggy due to a bad knee

John Daly Requests Buggy For Open Championship

John Daly has requested a buggy for the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

The 1995 St Andrews champion rode in a buggy during the recent USPGA Championship thanks to a successful ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) request.

"We have received a request from John Daly for permission to use a buggy at The Open and it is currently under consideration,” an R&A spokesman said.

Daly has osteoarthritis in his right knee and struggles to walk more than four holes.

Daly seen at the USPGA Championship at Bethpage Black. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

He uses a buggy every time he plays on the PGA Tour Champions.

In fact, the last tournament that he walked was at the 2018 Omega European Masters on the European Tour.

"I'm not one that wants to ride all the time," Daly said.

”It's just something that if I don't, I'm not going to be able to play, I won't be able to finish.

"It’s very awkward [to use a buggy] and it’s almost to a point where it’s embarrassing.

"I enjoy playing and I’m still competitive. It’s not really ego, as a former champion I feel obligated to play. I feel committed.”

John Daly 1995 Open Championship Claret Jug

Daly won the 1995 Open at St Andrews

Tiger Woods was asked about Daly in his pre-USPGA Championship press conference and said "As far as JD taking a cart, well, I walked with a broken leg, so…”

Nick Faldo was another to comment, saying “Personally I think walking is a physical part of being a professional golfer."

John Daly has responded to Woods' comment, and alleged criticism from the Golf Channel, over his use of the buggy.

"Might have been a different comment,’’ Daly said to USA Today Sports.

“As well as the Golf Channel Wednesday morning, when they bashed me pretty good, and a few others.

“He [Woods] got his fixed for some reason. No doctor will replace my knee because of a different type of problem.

"It's hard to explain why. I'm not a doctor. I just try to do what they say.

“Osteoarthritis is a tough thing, brother. If my knee was broke, I would have had it fixed. But my situation is totally different. It's painful as hell is all I can say. As was Tiger's, I'm sure."

He became the first player to use a buggy in a Major since Casey Martin in the US Open at Olympic Club in 1998 and 2012.

Casey Martin of the United States during the 2012 US Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Martin suffers from a birth defect in his right leg known as Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome.

“I hope I don’t get a lot of grief from the fans,” Daly told the Associated Press before the USPGA Championship at Bethpage Black.

“My knee is screwed. I had the meniscus cut out. I have osteoarthritis so bad ... I can walk up a hill, I just can’t walk down one.”

Daly has struggled with his knee for some time now, and even collapsed during a tournament in October 2017.

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He was then declined a buggy during the 2018 US Senior Open and said that he will never play in another USGA event.

Daly famously won the 1991 USPGA Championship, his first Major title, at Crooked Stick after being ninth reserve.

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV