John Daly II - Arkansas Men's Golf

September 4, 2025·27 min·2 clips

John Daly II reveals how he fought to earn his way into elite amateur tournaments despite his famous last name.

Episode 408 starts with the summer ledger. Ben Adelberg introduces John Daly II as one of the amateur names people noticed, then pulls the conversation back to Arkansas golf and a Razorbacks team with postseason goals. Daly has plenty to talk about. The opening runs through third at the Northeast Amateur, a U.S. Amateur match play run, and the Southern Amateur title at The Blessings. The win at home is the center of the episode. Adelberg spends time on what it feels like to chase a big amateur title when the course, the crowd, and the Arkansas tie all add pressure. Daly does not make it sound grand. He talks about playing a lot, trusting the work, and trying to make the round feel more like qualifying or a match with teammates. Simple answer. Hard thing to do. He also admits the Southern Amateur was on his mind. He had thought about tee shots, chipping, putting, and pins he expected to see. The famous last name is there too, because it has to be. The episode treats it as part of moving through junior golf and amateur golf when everyone already recognizes the name. Adelberg stays in his lane. He brings up Arkansas players, Illini-at-the-Western comparisons, and other amateur golf reference points without pausing to explain the whole board. Daly stays practical. His clearest answer on pressure is not that he cares less. It is that once the work is done, he tries to let the round carry less weight. That fits the whole conversation. The intro calls Daly focused and no-nonsense, and the excerpt backs it up. He wants the tournament badly, but he does not turn that want into drama. Arkansas stays in the background through the close, when Daly talks about a team where everyone is doing the right things and nobody is slacking off. Adelberg ends with a light coach note, and the joke about keeping coach McMakin calm keeps the college season talk loose.

As heard by us

A clear look at a summer breakout from a player who keeps things plain and focused.

John Daly II's summer run is easy to track: third at the Northeast Amateur, a match play run at the U.S. Amateur, then the Southern Amateur title at The Blessings in Arkansas.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Want a grounded look at John Daly II before his Arkansas run?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The Back of the Range