John Daly’s Son Records Major Feat Days After Heartbreak at U.S. Amateur Championship

Originally posted on EssentiallySports | By Molin Sheth | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 3:54 PM ET

Until his battle against Mason Howell, John Daly II looked like he was on the path to getting a big win on the amateur circuit. But his dream to capture the 2025 U.S. Amateur Championship was cut short by the eventual champion, who was just too good to be beaten on August 15. In the end, John Daly‘s son finished fifth and ended his brilliant run two days early. However, the 22-year-old was not done yet for the year as he still had something in the bag. And he proved that in Cincinnati last week.

Playing at the Coldstream Country Club, Daly II went against 95 other amateur golfers in The Bearcat Invitational 2025. The NCAA Division I event included some promising young golfers who were all looking to get a great result. In the end, it was Harris Barth representing Furman who came out on top. But victory didn’t come easily for him, as John Daly II was chasing him to the end and finished as a runner-up in the event. The second-generation star was 3 strokes behind Barth on the leaderboard.

Daly had a great first round of 4-under 65. However, he followed that up with a par finish that allowed Harris to gain a considerable lead. In the end, the deficit was too much, and John couldn’t chase it down despite his best efforts. However, the solo second finish did help the amateur pro gain a considerable boost on the WAGR leaderboard.

As confirmed by Arkansas Men’s Golf, “

With his runner-up finish at the Bearcat Invitational last week, @johndalyll jumped 13 spots in the WAGR to 71st. @therandagolf.” Yes, Daly has moved up to the 71st position in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. He’s 68 places above the man who beat him in the U.S. Amateur Championship 2025, Mason Howell. Following a fifth-place finish with a runner-up, it seems that he is getting really close to winning another win in his amateur career.

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When things do get down to the wire, will John Daly II be able to manage the pressure and grab the victory? There is no reason he wouldn’t, considering he did something similar a few weeks ago.

John Daly II is closer than ever to another amateur win

Back in July 2025, John Daly shared some amazing news on his Instagram. Just a few days after his son experienced a major heartbreak in the Northeast Amateur Invitational, they already had a reason to celebrate. He had just won the Southern Amateur Championship 2025, his first title in two years. Daly wrote, “One Proud Daddy!!!

@sgagolf Champion

,” showcasing how happy he was about his son winning the amateur title.

While Daly II hasn’t won anything since, he has still been quite consistent recently. Since the Northeast Amateur Invitational, where he finished third, he has had four top-5 finishes in seven tournaments. He is at his career best amateur rank of 71 at the moment. With the way things are going, it certainly looks like he will improve on that rank. And John Daly II has many more opportunities available in the season to also grab another win before the end of 2025.

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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