The Daly name is back in professional golf. This time, it's John Daly's 22-year-old son who is carrying the legacy in the sport.

On Wednesday, John Daly II announced he has accepted a sponsor exemption to compete in the Occunet Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour.

"Excited to tee it up in my first official tournament as a professional," Daly II wrote on Instagram. "Fired up for this next chapter and everything that comes with it," he added about the June 11-14 tournament at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas.

The Occunet Classic marks the first Korn Ferry Tour event held in Amarillo since 1990. 'Little John' will play the first two rounds alongside fellow Americans Tegan Andrews and Andrew McLauchlan.

Daly II graduated from the University of Arkansas this spring as one of the top players for the team between 2020 and 2025. His biggest amateur achievements include winning the 2025 Southern Amateur Championship.

He was the only player to shoot under par in all four rounds. Daly II was also a finalist for the 2025 Ben Hogan Award and won the 2025 Blessings Collegiate Invitational. 

The 22-year-old made his PGA Tour debut as an amateur at the 2026 Puerto Rico Open after receiving a sponsor exemption. He made the cut and finished tied for 37th place.

He has been in the spotlight since he was a child and often played with his father at the PNC Championship. In 2021, they won the tournament against Tiger Woods and his son, Charlie Woods.

However, the former PGA Tour Champion's son won't have his father beside him this time.

The Golf Legacy John Daly II Is Carrying Into His Pro Career

His father, John Daly, won five PGA Tour tournaments, including the PGA Championship in 1991 and The Open Championship in 1995.

He became well known in the 1990s for hitting the ball very far and playing an aggressive style of golf.

Tournament Director Drew Blass noted that Daly II's father, two-time major champion John Daly, finished runner-up at the Korn Ferry Tour event held in Amarillo in 1990.

"I can't imagine a better way for him to start the next phase of his career in the same city as his father," Blass said.

Daly II said he has worked toward this professional debut for years. "I'm very excited and grateful to be competing in the OccuNet Classic," he said, per tournament officials.

"This will mark my first start as a professional golfer, and is something I've worked toward for a long time. I'm thankful for everyone who has supported me along the way and can't wait to get out there and compete."

Affectionately known as LJ to his friends and family, Daly II makes his Korn Ferry Tour debut in the same city where his father made his mark more than three decades ago.

Do you think John Daly II has what it takes to follow in his father's footsteps on the PGA Tour? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi