Son of major champion announces he's turning professional: "Fired up for this next chapter"
John Daly II has confirmed this week's Occunet Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour will be his first as a professional.
John Daly II has confirmed he is turning professional.
The 22-year-old made the special announcement on social media on Wednesday afternoon, posing for a picture alongside his clubs.
He has accepted a sponsor exemption to play in this week's Korn Ferry Tour event, the Occunet Classic, in Amarillo, Texas.
The American will play the first two rounds at Tacosa Golf Club alongside fellow Americans Tegan Andrews and Andrew McLauchlan.
"Excited to tee it up in my first official tournament as a professional," he wrote, while also thanking his team and partners.
"Fired up for this next chapter and everything that comes with it."
Daly, affectionately known as LJ to his friends and family, is the son of the legendary former Open champion and PGA Championship winner John Daly.
Daly, 60, is one of golf's most colourful and unconventional characters.
Known for his huge drives and "grip it and rip it" approach, he became a popular figure on the PGA Tour in the 1990s.
He won five PGA Tour events in total and two majors (1991 PGA Championship, 1995 Open).
His son has been in the public eye since childhood, and the pair have regularly competed together in the PNC Championship, the PGA Tour’s annual parent–child event held each December.
Team Daly made their first appearance in the hit-and-giggle tournament in 2016 but grabbed their first victory in 2021 when they defeated Tiger Woods and his teenage son Charlie.
Daly II has been developing his golf game at the University of Arkansas and was one of the Razorbacks' key players between 2020-2025.
Collegiate victories include the Columbia Spring Invitational and the Blessings Collegiate Invitational.
Last year, Daly II won the 119th Southern Amateur Championship. He was the only player in the field to post four rounds under par.
The victory earned him a spot in the 2025 U.S. Amateur Championship, where he was knocked out in the round of 32.
He made his PGA Tour debut in March at the Puerto Rico Open.
He performed exceptionally well, making the cut and finishing the event in a tie for 37th.
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