Daly ready for Fort Smith Classic; calls on title sponsor to step up

story and photos by Ruby Dean
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John Daly hit the course Wednesday (June 16) at Hardscrabble Country Club playing in the Pro-Am game with Coach Frank Broyles, Rooster McConaughey (brother of actor Matthew McConaughey) and Coach Bobby Petrino. Crowds followed the fellows around the green today to get a glimpse of former Razorback golfer and celebrities he played with.

The Fort Smith Classic announced in early June that Daly would play at the June 14-20 tournament at Hardscrabble. The Fort Smith Classic is the only PGA Tour event in Arkansas. Several of the past winners of the Classic have gone on to win big in the PGA Tour, including 2003 Fort Smith Classic winner Zach Johnson who won the Masters in 2007.

Daly, the former University of Arkansas Razorback golfer, has played in eight PGA Tour events this year, making five cuts. Since his first year on the PGA Tour in 1991, he has played in 426 PGA Tour events, garnering five wins and career earnings of more than $9.2 million. He won his second major championship, the British Open, in 1995.

According to a Fort Smith Classic statement, his will be the first time the two-time major champion has played in a Nationwide Tour event since the Yuma Open in February 1991.

During Daly’s press conference Wednesday at the Fort Smith Classic, he said “his game is coming on” and that he’s glad to be playing back at home. This was Daly’s first day to be out on the Hardscrabble course.

For the previous 11 tournaments, Daly has made eight consecutive cuts with hopes of making the cut tomorrow when first round of action starts. Daly’s last competitive round in Arkansas was back in 1990 when he played in the Hogan Event in Texarkana in 1990.

Daly admits he has made “stupid decisions in his life,” but that he is not a “bad boy.” Also, he knows he has talent, and just needs to get confidence. Fans and tournament officials hope Daly will get some of that confidence playing in front of fellow Arkansans.

He also is campaigning for someone or some company to “step up and make the commitment of becoming a title sponsor” of the Fort Smith Classic — which they haven’t had since Rheem dropped out. Daly believes the community is behind the Classic and as always volunteers are ready to help and donate long hours to help make the tournament work.

Daly also works on other things aside from golf. Daly is donning and promoting Loudmouth Golf Apparel, has recorded an album and is working on a video game that bears his name and likeness. The video game, “John Daly’s Prostroke Golf,” is scheduled to be out in the fall.