The more you play, the more you grow! And players like Bryson DeChambeau and John Daly understand it very well. Even after beating a life-threatening disease, and having gone through 2 knee replacement surgeries, Daly hasn’t lost his flair, and he proved it with his determination. Many of you already know that two golfers recently announced that they were going to collaborate for the “Break 50” challenge on Bryson DeChambeau’s YouTube channel, where they tried to score 18 holes in 50-stroke.

Daly has been through a lot of medical hiccups in his life. In 2021, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Talking about the diagnosis, the golfer said, “They told me I had bladder cancer, but it was one I could beat. I’ll have to change some things in life, but I can beat it.” Talking about his treatment, and how painful it was, the golfer spoke freely on Full Send Podcast. He said, “They put a catheter in me, right in my you-know-what. They put a camera in there. And if they need to treat it, they put a jigsaw in there and cut it out. It sucks. And then you – when you pee for seven to 14 days, it hurts. It hurts. But my cancer, I’m lucky that it was caught real quick.” 

The 54-year-old golf legend revealed that he underwent a successful procedure to remove the cancer. However,  his doctor warned him that there was an 85% chance it could come back. Hence, the veteran decided to take a proactive approach to his health, which included changing his diet and trying to quit smoking – including cutting back on his beloved Diet Coke. But for now, the golfer is cancer-free and is living his life to the fullest since as he once said, he is not “scared to die or anything.”

Imagine the pain and suffering the golfer had to face for the last few years. But did that make him quit the sport? No, not at all! Despite this challenge, Daly remains devoted to the sport and has been seen on the greens quite a few times this year. Daly has participated in twelve tournaments on the Champions Tour and two majors, the British Open and the PGA Championship but he had to withdraw from both because of his health issues. Cancer is not the only enemy when it comes to Daly’s health. 

John Daly’s knees have been troubling him

he had his first knee surgery in 2019. The golfer had bi-compartmental degenerative arthritis in his right knee, a condition that requires a knee replacement, and then in 2022, he had his left knee replaced. The 56-year-old golfer expressed his gratitude to his doctor and the staff at Arkansas Surgical Hospital who assisted with the successful surgery. He posted a picture Instagram post, with the caption, “Y’all are the best!” He relied on the same doctor for both operations. Dr Samuel Moore is a renowned hip, knee, & shoulder surgeon who helped the 2x major winner. But the knee troubles are still going on.

Ahead of the 2024 Open Championship, Daly withdrew from the event citing a painful swollen knee. He took to social media to explain his withdrawal sharing painful pictures and thanking fans for their support. This sparked concerns about his future in the tournament as this was his second major withdrawal this year.

But there was still some hope left as Daly was supposed to participate in the 2024 Senior Open pres. by Rolex in late July, but he withdrew from there as well. With the Break 5o on the line, do you think the 1995 Champion Golfer of the Year, will make a return to the greens? Let us know in the comment section below!