John Daly Requests Buggy For Open Championship

The American needs a buggy due to a bad knee

John Daly Requests Buggy For Open Championship

John Daly has requested a buggy for the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

The 1995 St Andrews champion rode in a buggy during the recent USPGA Championship thanks to a successful ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) request.

"We have received a request from John Daly for permission to use a buggy at The Open and it is currently under consideration,” an R&A spokesman said.

Daly has osteoarthritis in his right knee and struggles to walk more than four holes.

He uses a buggy every time he plays on the PGA Tour Champions.

In fact, the last tournament that he walked was at the 2018 Omega European Masters on the European Tour.

"I'm not one that wants to ride all the time," Daly said.

”It's just something that if I don't, I'm not going to be able to play, I won't be able to finish.

"It’s very awkward [to use a buggy] and it’s almost to a point where it’s embarrassing.

"I enjoy playing and I’m still competitive. It’s not really ego, as a former champion I feel obligated to play. I feel committed.”

Tiger Woods was asked about Daly in his pre-USPGA Championship press conference and said "As far as JD taking a cart, well, I walked with a broken leg, so…”

Nick Faldo was another to comment, saying “Personally I think walking is a physical part of being a professional golfer."

John Daly has responded to Woods' comment, and alleged criticism from the Golf Channel, over his use of the buggy.

"Might have been a different comment,’’ Daly said to USA Today Sports.

“As well as the Golf Channel Wednesday morning, when they bashed me pretty good, and a few others.

“He [Woods] got his fixed for some reason. No doctor will replace my knee because of a different type of problem.

"It's hard to explain why. I'm not a doctor. I just try to do what they say.

“Osteoarthritis is a tough thing, brother. If my knee was broke, I would have had it fixed. But my situation is totally different. It's painful as hell is all I can say. As was Tiger's, I'm sure."

He became the first player to use a buggy in a Major since Casey Martin in the US Open at Olympic Club in 1998 and 2012.

Martin suffers from a birth defect in his right leg known as Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome.

“I hope I don’t get a lot of grief from the fans,” Daly told the Associated Press before the USPGA Championship at Bethpage Black.

“My knee is screwed. I had the meniscus cut out. I have osteoarthritis so bad ... I can walk up a hill, I just can’t walk down one.”

Daly has struggled with his knee for some time now, and even collapsed during a tournament in October 2017.

He was then declined a buggy during the 2018 US Senior Open and said that he will never play in another USGA event.

Daly famously won the 1991 USPGA Championship, his first Major title, at Crooked Stick after being ninth reserve.

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