"If Somebody Offers you $150M...": John Daly Once Shared Strong Feelings About LIV Golf
John Daly walks to the fifteenth hole during the third practice day for the 2024 PGA, Golf Herren Championship at Valhalla Golf Course on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY KYP20240515028 JOHNxSOMMERSxII
John Daly walks to the fifteenth hole during the third practice day for the 2024 PGA, Golf Herren Championship at Valhalla Golf Course on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY KYP20240515028 JOHNxSOMMERSxII
“I begged Greg Norman to let me be on the LIV tour,” two-time major champion John Daly said during an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored in 2022.
Years later, John Daly revisited the same topic while appearing on the Like a Farmer Podcast in 2025.
When asked about the divide between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, as well as the criticism faced by players who joined LIV, Daly shared his unfiltered perspective on money, family, and the realities of professional golf.
The Ally Challenge GRAND BLANC,MICHIGAN-AUGUST 23: John Daly of Dardanelle, Arizona hits from the 2nd tee during the first round of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, Grand Blanc, MI, USA Friday, August 22, 2025. Grand Blanc Michigan United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xAmyxLemusx originalFilename:lemus-theallyc250822_npkKb.jpg
The Ally Challenge GRAND BLANC,MICHIGAN-AUGUST 23: John Daly of Dardanelle, Arizona hits from the 2nd tee during the first round of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, Grand Blanc, MI, USA Friday, August 22, 2025. Grand Blanc Michigan United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xAmyxLemusx originalFilename:lemus-theallyc250822_npkKb.jpg
“If somebody offers you $150 million, what is it? You’re born, you live, and you die. If somebody offers me $150 million, that’s taking care of my family. That’s what you’re born for, to make money if you have a family to take care of.”
LIV Golf operates on a model based on guaranteed contracts and fixed prize money, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. This structure allowed the league to sign players from the PGA Tour, offering income that does not depend on cuts or weekly results.
John Daly believes the split between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour was unnecessary and avoidable.
Daly feels both sides should have worked together, pointing out that LIV’s limited schedule of 14 events should not have created such resistance, especially when PGA Tour players were already permitted a set number of releases.
In his view, better communication between the tours could still resolve the situation, as he believes golf is too big to be harmed by internal disputes.
John Daly’s highest payout on the PGA Tour
“When I won San Diego, it was about $800,000. That was the biggest one I ever made.” Daly said during the podcast.
Daly then explained how the payout from winning the PGA Championship and The Open Championship compared to that figure.
“But when I won the PGA and the British, it didn’t even add up to over $450,000. I think it was $234,000 for the PGA and £125,000 for the British, which was about $250,000.”
John Daly won two major championships during his professional career.
He captured his first major title at the PGA Championship in 1991 at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Indiana. Daly entered the field as the ninth alternate and finished three strokes ahead of Bruce Lietzke.
Four years later, Daly secured his second major victory at the Open Championship in 1995. Playing at the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland, he defeated Constantino Rocca in a four-hole playoff to claim the title.
Written by
Aditi Singh
Edited by
Oajaswini Prabhu