John Daly is as synonymous with the British Open as fescue and fish and chips. Since Daly’s triumphant victory at the 1995 Open Championship, the chain-smoking, Diet Coke-crushing fan favorite has become an annual fixture across the pond, entertaining European golf fans with his hyper-concentrated dose of Americana.
Unfortunately, Daly’s Royal Troon pilgrimage didn’t last long, with the Champions Tour pro withdrawing on Friday morning citing injury. A few hours later, Daly to took to Twitter to explain his WD and share a grisly photo of his left knee, which looked like it had a second baby knee growing from it.
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Painful stuff. Daly’s knee inflammation was due to a flare up of iliotibial band syndrome, a common overuse injury that occurs when the iliotibial tendon becomes irritated and swollen from chafing against the knee and hip bones. The two-time major winner says he did everything in his power to give it a go on Friday morning, but ultimately he and his physio decided rest (and lots of ice) were the best course of action.
We hope Daly’s knee heals up soon and that we see him back out there, Hooters pants and Santa beard on proud display, when the 2026 Open heads to Royal Birkdale.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
