John Daly requests golf cart to play in 148th Open at Royal Portrush
By Keith Jackson
Last Updated: 17/05/19 10:07pm
John Daly insists he will not play in The 148th Open at Royal Portrush unless he is permitted to use a golf cart, a request which is currently "under consideration".
The R&A confirmed they had received a message from the 1995 Open champion asking for clearance to ride in a cart as Daly feels he will be unable to walk the course due to a chronic knee condition.
Daly was able to have use of a cart during his two rounds at this week's PGA Championship having applied under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a request which was granted by the PGA of America due to the severity of the long and punishing Bethpage Black layout.
The 53-year-old missed the halfway cut for the sixth straight year after rounds of 75 and 76 left him at 11 over par, and he is now waiting for a reply from the R&A which will decide whether he makes the trip to Northern Ireland in July.
An R&A spokesman said: "We have received a request from John Daly for permission to use a buggy at The
Open and it is currently under consideration."
Daly, who claims he is unable to walk more than six holes on a golf course, said on Thursday that he would not be able to compete at Royal Portrush if his request was denied.
"Trust me, if I could walk I would rather walk. I feel like I always have played better when I walk," said the two-time major champion, who suffers from arthritis in his right knee.
"I'm not one who wants to ride all the time. It's just something, if I don't I'm not going to be able to play, I'm not going to be able to finish.
"I wouldn't be able to walk at Portrush. Hard pan is better to walk on, but I would probably get nine holes and that would be about it. Out here, I could walk maybe four before I couldn't even swing."
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