John Daly II Talks PGA Tour Debut at the Puerto Rico Open & Growing Up with His Dad

Summary

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Tranquilo Sports Talk – John Daly II Talks PGA Tour Debut at the Puerto Rico Open & Growing Up with His Dad

Host: Stay Tranquilo Network
Guest: John Daly II
Release Date: March 5, 2026

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Episode Overview

This special edition of Tranquilo Sports Talk is recorded live from Puerto Rico during the Puerto Rico Open. The episode features John Daly II, who is making his PGA Tour debut. The discussion explores Daly II’s feelings about his first pro event, his experiences growing up as the son of golf icon John Daly, balancing collegiate golf with professional aspirations, and his thoughts on the evolving landscape of the sport, including the rise of “YouTube golf.” The episode maintains the signature barbershop-style, Miami-infused energy that characterizes the Stay Tranquilo Network.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. John Daly II’s Emotions Heading into PGA Tour Debut

[00:53 – 01:12]

• Daly II reflects on his excitement and nerves, fresh from a college tournament in Cabo and now stepping into his first PGA Tour event.
• He shares that as a child, attending the Puerto Rico Open was a highlight, particularly for its atmosphere:
  “This used to be one of my favorite events, like coming to watch my dad playing just because the beach, the hotel, like the daycare was always so fun. But it's pretty cool, this being my first one.” — John Daly II [01:12]

2. Growing Up Daly: Recognition & Perspective

[01:21 – 01:47]

• Asked about life with a celebrity father, Daly II emphasizes the family dynamic over celebrity status:
  “To me, it's just my dad. Like, there's no... I don't know, it's just my dad. Like, it's how you are with your dad. Anyone else with the dad. But no, it's been fun. He just wants me to be happy and have fun.” — John Daly II [01:34]

3. Getting the PGA Tour Call-Up:

[01:47 – 02:09]

• Daly II explains earning a spot at the Puerto Rico Open via an “elite amateur" tournament system. He learned “a couple months ago” that he’d receive the invitation.

4. Balancing College Golf and Professional Ambitions

[02:09 – 02:40]

• Currently attending Arkansas, Daly II is keen to savor his final year and focus on college goals before turning pro:
  “I'm just trying to enjoy my last year of college and make the most of it. Only get one shot in college, so just kind of focus on that right now and trying to do something special with the team.” — John Daly II [02:29]

5. Favorite College Memory

[02:46 – 03:01]

• Daly II recalls winning their home event individually and as a team, with his dad in attendance for the first time during his college career.
  “This is the first one my dad came to in college... the team win, women's team won, and then I got to win, which is pretty cool.” — John Daly II [02:50]

6. The Evolution of Golf — Social Media & Personality

[03:01 – 04:12]

• Discussion turns to the rise of golf YouTube channels and the brighter spotlight on personalities.
• Daly II is friends with channels like “Good Good” and Grand Horvath but says juggling college and YouTube is tough, admitting:
  “I don't really know if I have the time right now to get YouTube going, but it's been pretty cool to be on some of my good friends' channels and just be able to watch myself on there.” — John Daly II [04:00]

7. Inside College Golf Mindset

[04:12 – 04:53]

• On how college players view golf’s evolution and the pathway to the pros:
  “We play some really cool places in college, so it's, it's something you don't want to take for granted too much... just making the most of it and having fun and then worrying about the pro stuff after.” — John Daly II [04:35]

8. The Grind & Mentality of Pro Golf

[05:09 – 06:26]

• Prepping for a pro event involves staying relaxed and trusting the work put in:
  “Just to have fun. I mean, practice, trust the work. I put in a little worn out... but yeah, it's golf... if I'm worn out right now, then I better get used to it.” — John Daly II [05:18]
• Both host and guest acknowledge the relentless travel and schedule, comparing the week-to-week grind of tour life to Daly’s recent college schedule.

9. Advice from John Daly Sr.

[06:29 – 06:56]

• Daly II shares his dad’s words of wisdom ahead of his first PGA Tour event:
  “Just have fun and go play my game. I mean, yeah, it's a probe and everything, but everyone's human. Just go out there, have fun, enjoy it, and make the most of it.” — John Daly II [06:46]

10. Favorite On-Course Memory with His Dad

[07:06 – 07:13]

• Their 2021 win at the PNC Father-Son Challenge stands out:
  “Probably winning the father son in 21… That was pretty cool.” — John Daly II [07:06]
• Host and Daly II share laughs about recurring competitors in the family event and mutual excitement for future matchups (i.e., Tiger and Charlie Woods).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “To me, it's just my dad… He just wants me to be happy and have fun.” — John Daly II [01:34]
• “Only get one shot in college, so just kind of focus on that right now and trying to do something special with the team.” — John Daly II [02:29]
• “I don't really know if I have the time right now to get YouTube going, but it's been pretty cool to be on some of my good friends' channels.” — John Daly II [04:00]
• “Just to have fun and go play my game… everyone's human. Just go out there, have fun, enjoy it, and make the most of it.” — John Daly II [06:46]
• “Probably winning the father son in 21… That was pretty cool.” — John Daly II [07:06]

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Important Timestamps

• 00:53 — John Daly II on emotions heading into his first PGA Tour event
• 01:21 — Reflections on growing up with John Daly as his dad
• 02:09 — On balancing college golf with professional aspirations
• 02:50 — Favorite college tournament memory with his dad in attendance
• 04:00 — On golf’s evolution and YouTube’s influence
• 05:18 — Mindset for the Puerto Rico Open: “Have fun, trust the work”
• 06:46 — John Daly Sr.’s advice heading into the tournament
• 07:06 — Daly II’s favorite on-course memory with his father

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Tone & Style

The episode maintains a casual, Miami barbershop vibe: open, supportive, and authentic, with a touch of humor and South Florida flavor. Daly II is humble, grounded, and focused on enjoying the journey, while the host is energetic and encouraging, rooting for Daly’s continued rise.

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For listeners and sports fans, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the unique pressures, joys, and evolving landscape of collegiate and pro golf—from the perspective of one of the sport’s most recognizable family names.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

What is going on, everybody? Welcome back to another episode of State Tranquilo special edition in Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Open. We're here joined by John Daly. Appreciate John D. Ii appreciate you for taking the time to sit out here with us.

[C]

Oh, yeah, no worries.

[B]

It's exciting day for you or exciting week for you. First PGA tournament for you. Tell us a little bit about how you're feeling. You know, excitement, nerves, just how. How the. How the mind is.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, we just got done with the college event in Cabo. Sucks to come up short. Didn't have my best stuff, but I'm very excited.

[B]

Bumped.

[C]

This used to be one of my favorite events, like coming to watch my dad playing just because the beach, the hotel, like the daycare was always so fun. But it's pretty cool, this being my first one.

[B]

Yeah, pretty. You bring up your dad right? Full circle kind of moment. What was it like, obviously, having your dad as. As John Daly and one was it, I guess, like, at what age did you realize, like, oh, man, my dad's kind of like a famous guy?

[C]

No, I mean, just to me, it's just my dad. Like, there's no. There's nothing like, I don't know, it's just my dad. Like, it's how you are with your dad. Anyone else with the dad. But no, it's been fun. He just wants me to be happy and have fun.

[B]

When. When did you get the. I guess the. The notice that you were going to be playing in this tournament?

[C]

Oh, I think it was after summer because there's a. Like an elite amateur thing, like a tournament system that I think number one gets this start and the Bermuda start, and then number two got this start. So I knew a couple months ago.

[B]

Okay. And does that change anything? Like when you're obviously playing college golf at Arkansas, does that change anything in the way, like, you approach. Obviously you got your. Your guys back in Arkansas and those are your guys now. Right. Because that's your priority. Right. College student doing your thing there and then obviously Goals to get here. Right. But does that change anything? Kind of dynamic wise is like how you prep.

[C]

I mean, no. I mean, I'm just trying to enjoy my last year of college and make the most of it. Only get one shot in college, so just kind of focus on that right now and trying to do something special with the team. Absolutely.

[B]

Any. Any iconic college memories so far for you?

[C]

It was.

[B]

It was really cool winning the our

[C]

home event as a team and individually. This is the first one my dad came to in college, so that's pretty cool for him to be able to see the team win, women's team won, and then I got to win, which is pretty cool. I'd probably say that.

[B]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I guess your dad has been someone that is kind of an icon in the golf space. But I guess for you, right, growing up now, being on the other side as a player, like, how have you seen kind of golf evolve over the course of the last couple of years? Right. YouTube Golf has become such a big thing, just like bigger golf personalities. What's kind of like that balance for you? Right. Like, you want to maximize your presence and be a no name. But at the end of the day, golf from a competitive standpoint is something that's so important. How have you seen that kind of evolution over the course of the years?

[C]

Yeah, I mean, I think pro golf is obviously like the, like the best PGA tour. Like, that's the best of the best. But it's pretty cool to see all the YouTube stuff coming out. I'm good friends with Good Good and Grand Horvath, so it's pretty cool to be able to do some stuff with them.

[B]

But no, it's awesome.

[C]

I love how the game's growing and.

[B]

Yeah. Do you see yourself kind of partaking in a little bit of both? Right. You see like Bryson kind of being that guy that's done a little bit of that.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, I thought about it. I just. I don't really know if I have the time right now to get YouTube going, but it's been pretty cool to be on some of my good friends now channels and just be able to watch myself on there. It's pretty cool.

[B]

And with the guys that you play with, like, college wise, what. What's. What's their kind of thought process on all of it? Right. Obviously free. Everybody's goal is always make it to the pros play at the PGA Tour. Right. You mentioned it's the greatest league in golf and the biggest opportunities. And there's obviously a lot of changes going on. But at the end of the day, it's all for the good and the betterment of golf. What's, what's their thought processes and kind of how you see college golf evolving too?

[C]

I mean, I think pretty similar, I think. I mean, SEC especially. We play some really cool places in college, so it's, it's something you don't want to take for granted too much because you only get, I guess, four years, five years of your red shirt, but just making the most of it and having fun and then worrying about

[B]

the pro stuff after. Yeah.

[C]

At least that's what I do.

[B]

Yeah. No, I mean, I didn't go hard

[C]

enough as it is.

[B]

20 to 22, I mean.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Still young, right? It's like, got to enjoy your youth at the end of the day, right. But you got a job to do and that's, that's always the utmost importance. What's the, what's the week look like for you this week?

[A]

Right.

[B]

First Tour event, Puerto Rico. You can see kind of the weather. It's. It's rainy, it's windy. What's like kind of the mindset going into it and how do you prep for something like this?

[C]

I mean, just to have fun. I mean, practice, trust the work. I put in a little worn out,

[B]

but yeah, it's golf.

[C]

I mean, if I'm worn out right now, then I better get used to it.

[B]

You go week after week after week on tour, so it is pretty insane what these guys do, you know, week over week.

[C]

It's gonna be fun, though.

[B]

And you don't really know what's gonna happen next week, right? It's like last week we're at Cognizant Classic, right? Some of those guys are just like, you know, obviously you want to win, but what's the future look like, right? Trying to get into players. You got Arnold Palmer also going on this weekend. Some guys weren't even guaranteed to get into Arnold Palmer. Like a guy like Nico, who won last week, right? His thoughts like, I gotta either play here or hopefully try to get into Arnold Palmer. So for a lot of guys, you really don't know week to week. And it is such a grind to mentally, obviously, but physically, right, for you, it's a little bit of different situation. You were just like playing college tournament, saying that you had to fly into, you know, Dallas and you go to Miami and then you're coming in here, you know, early morning, try to get a practice around now in the afternoon and just kind of prep up, right? Like, that's that's kind of what, like a week to week kind of looks like. Yeah, it's.

[C]

It's a grind. It's definitely a grind.

[B]

But you enjoy it?

[C]

Oh, yeah, Yeah, I enjoy it. I enjoyed a lot.

[B]

Hell, yeah. Oh, yeah. Well, I guess before we kind of wrap up here, I know you got to prep up for. For the week. What's one of the messages that your dad has left you this week? Kind of going into. So this week and just, hey, first PGA Tour tournament event, what do you got to think about?

[C]

Just have fun and go play my game. I mean, yeah, it's a probe and everything, but everyone's human. Just go out there, have fun, enjoy it, and make the most of it.

[B]

Is he out here with you for the week or.

[C]

No, I don't think he's coming this week. He's busy.

[B]

He's always busy, but he's always busy.

[C]

He'll be watching. I know.

[B]

That's awesome. Any favorite memory on the course with him?

[C]

Probably winning the father son in 21.

[B]

That was sick.

[C]

That was pretty cool.

[B]

That was awesome.

[C]

We almost had this year, man. The coaches were good. They were hard to beat.

[B]

They are. It's always like, Cooch is always there. VJs got son is out there a lot. Cooch.

[C]

Oh, yeah. I can't wait to see Tiger and Charlie back.

[B]

Tiger and Charlie is going to be good. Tiger junior in high school, right? Committed to Florida State. Yeah, that'll be, that'll be interesting. Are you guys going to play in that again?

[C]

I hope so. I think so.

[B]

Nice. Nice. Well, hey, man, best of luck this week to you. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate the time for, for you. And we're, we're ready to see you go on this journey in the PGA Tour and, and see what you can make happen out there.

[C]

Yes, sir. I appreciate it. We're rooting for you.

[B]

Appreciate it, man.

[C]

Thank you.

[B]

Thank you.

[D]

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[B]

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