Former winner John Daly has withdrawn from The Open after a week that included the R&A denying his request to use a cart at Royal Portrush and, according to Daly, a serious spider bite that sent him to the hospital.
Daly played the PGA Championship in May using a cart because of an arthritic knee condition, and his chances of playing next week in Northern Ireland seemingly took a hit when R&A officials informed him they would not make a similar allowance at Portrush. But Daly remained optimistic in a social media post, explaining, “my plan is to give it a shot in 2 weeks at Portrush. Fingers crossed I can make it thru the pain.”
But Daly was officially removed from the field Tuesday, replaced by Kevin Streelman. Daly shared another social media post on Sunday that detailed a scary incident from a brown recluse spider bite in England, one that left him hospitalized after requiring mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
My life chapter 84k: Craziest event! Was in England last wk & incurred a spider bite, not really knowing (cont) https://t.co/f0eBAhpuvP
— John Daly (@PGA_JohnDaly) July 7, 2019
“Mouth/mouth, compressions and unknowingly now in an ambulance rushed to ER all while on family vacation and straight into surgery,” Daly wrote. “Removing what developed into a major infection in my abdominal area and treated for early sepsis all from a brown recluse!”
The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that Daly still might compete during Open week, but instead Stateside:
Daly’s manager said Tuesday he is likely to play the Barbasol Championship next week in Kentucky, and the two-time major champion with osteoarthritis in his right knee already has been granted a cart to use in the PGA Tour event.
Andy Pazder, the chief tournaments and competition officer for the PGA Tour, said Daly late last year was approved to use a cart through 2019 at PGA Tour events and PGA Tour Champions events that require walking.
Daly, who has not played a regular PGA Tour event since The Greenbrier last summer, also is contemplating the Barracuda Championship in Reno, Nevada, the following week.
Daly, 53, won The Open in 1995 at St. Andrews and will be eligible to compete until age 60 as a result of that playoff victory.
With Streelman now in the field and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann added earlier this week to replace another former Open champ, Todd Hamilton, the top alternates for Royal Portrush are currently Rory Sabbatini, Brian Harman and Martin Kaymer. The R&A fills its alternate positions based on the Official World Golf Ranking.
