John Daly records career-worst 19 on single hole at Sanford International
The 59-year-old Daly carded 19 strokes on the par-5 12th in the first round and finished 18-over as Angel Cabrera led at 6-under
John Daly recorded the worst single-hole score of his professional career on Friday, taking 19 strokes to complete the par-5 12th during the first round of the Sanford International at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The 59-year-old, competing on the Champions Tour, entered the hole four-over for the round and added 14 strokes on the 12th — a hole bordered by a long creek — to finish the day 18-over and 24 strokes behind first-round leader Angel Cabrera, who was 6-under.
Daly’s round unraveled beginning with a tee shot into the rough. He subsequently hit the ball out of bounds seven times in succession, with shots finding water and surrounding woods before finally getting the ball onto the green. After reaching the putting surface, Daly required a single putt to complete the hole.
The 19-stroke hole surpassed Daly’s previous high of 18 strokes on a single hole, which came at the 1998 Bay Hill Invitational. Daly has a history of unusually high single-hole totals, including a 14 on the 18th at the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and a 13 on the fourth at the 2011 John Deere Classic.
The 19 did not approach the all-time PGA Tour mark for a single hole. Tommy Armour recorded 23 strokes on the 17th at the Shawnee Open in 1927, in a round that included 10 out-of-bounds shots.
Daly, a former PGA Championship and Open Championship winner, has been a frequent presence on both the PGA Tour and the senior circuit and has previously drawn attention for both his shot-making and high-scoring lapses. The Sanford International is one of several events on the Champions Tour schedule that attract past major champions and veteran players.
Tournament organizers and officials did not issue additional comment on Daly’s round. Play at Minnehaha Country Club continues through the weekend with multiple groups attempting to narrow the gap on Cabrera, who led after the opening round.
Daly’s scorecard from Friday stands as a stark example of the swings that can occur in professional golf, particularly on holes where hazards and course design place a premium on accuracy off the tee. He will return for the second round attempting to improve his position on the leaderboard.