PNC CHAMPIONSHIP

December 16, 2022

John Daly

John Daly

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club

Quick Quotes

THE MODERATOR: Dalys, thank you for joining us. Defending champions back. Just kind of assess each other, how you felt about playing today and what you're looking forward to this weekend as you defend your title.

JOHN DALY: I'm just happy to be playing with my son. We played so good last year. He played really good. He made a lot of putts. If we could do that again this year, it'd be great.

It's just having family and spending time is the best part of it.

THE MODERATOR: How about watching his game? What are you most impressed by with his game that you're seeing?

JOHN DALY: Just he's so consistent. He's very long, but his short game is phenomenal. And little John, he works hard at it. He beats balls every day. He chips and putts like we did when we were young.

THE MODERATOR: How about you? Just some thoughts on how much fun you're having and the thought of being back here as one of the defending champions.

JOHN DALY II: What he said, it's just great to be here before Christmas with family time. And I feel like last year was the first year we didn't really focus on winning. So just here to have fun.

THE MODERATOR: What's the best part of your game you think right now?

JOHN DALY II: Putting. It's always been putting. If I can putt like last year, then we'll be golden.

THE MODERATOR: How about you? What are you most happy with?

JOHN DALY: That he's my partner. Not only my son, but he's my partner in this tournament too. He does roll the rock good. Like I said, his short game is phenomenal. We're just going to go out and have some fun. That's what it's all about.

Q. (Off microphone)?

JOHN DALY: I mean, it means a lot, but that's what we want to do, but I think just being able to play with my son like this and in a tournament like this, yeah, you want to win, but it's not heartbreaking if you don't because it's just being able to be out here with him and play golf with him in a tournament that is a lot of fun.

Two-man scrambles, we don't get to do this much on Tour. It's just a blast to be able to play in it.

Q. (Off microphone)?

JOHN DALY II: I think it's our 7th, maybe 6th or 7th, one of them.

Q. (Off microphone)?

JOHN DALY: No, it felt great. For me and him, it felt great. But the bottom line is if we play our best and we do really well, that's all you can do. If we win, we win; if we don't, we don't. I just love being with him.

Q. (Off microphone)?

JOHN DALY: No, hardly ever get to see him.

JOHN DALY II: Not really, no.

JOHN DALY: We get holidays and stuff. But the summertime will be better. I'm getting my knee replacement done Wednesday, full knee replacement. So I'll be out for a while. We've got Christmas coming up, so we'll get to spend some time together.

Q. Just curious, you have been through the whole thing with the cart. Seeing what Tiger is going through this year, did you have any empathy for him, any thoughts on what he's been able to accomplish, playing in those three tournaments?

JOHN DALY: I can't imagine how much pain he's in, but I know mine is -- I had it done three years ago, and it's no fun when you can't walk and can't turn and be able to get out and practice enough and complete, which I can't do right now really.

Like I said, I just pray -- I pray for Tiger. I hope his leg holds up and gets fixed because we need him on the Tour. For me, I've had probably more surgeries probably than Tiger. They just keep adding up over the last five years. But I get this metal put in this knee, hell, I got more metal than the Bionic Man does.

Q. Was the process of getting a cart, like to play in the PGA Championship, was that difficult, or was it fairly routine?

JOHN DALY: You just go by the laws, by the bylaws of the TOUR and the PGA of America. And for me, I'm under the ADA, I've got diabetes, I've got a lot of other shit going on. It sucks, but it happens when you get old.

And I'm not embarrassed to take a cart. It's not helping my golf game by any means. I would rather walk and play golf because then you have time to settle down on a good hole or a bad hole and you're walking instead of just getting in the cart and going up and hitting the shot. It's actually a big disadvantage. But if I could walk, I'd definitely do it.