Razorbacks' Daly captures Southern Amateur at Blessings Golf Club

John Daly II, a rising senior for the Arkansas Razorbacks, captured the 119th Southern Amateur title with a final-round 68 at The Blessings Golf Club, sealing a 72-hole total of 278, 10-under par for the championship.

Daly’s victory, punctuated by rounds of 70, 71, 69, and 68, earned him a five-stroke margin over Garrett Endicott, who finished second at 283 (-5).

Daly is the son of former Razorback golfer and pro legend John Daly, who played for the Hogs from 1984-87.

With this win, Daly secured a coveted berth in the 125th U.S. Amateur Championship, set for August 11-17 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.

He also joined a distinguished list of past Southern Amateur champions, including Bobby Jones, Lanny Wadkins, Ben Crenshaw, Bob Tway, Justin Leonard, Webb Simpson, and Harris English.

Daly entered the final round trailing by two shots after bogeying his last hole of the third round. He responded decisively on Saturday, opening with a long drive down the middle while leader Endicott found trouble off the first tee and ultimately doubled the hole, creating a three-way tie at the top.

Daly made par while Endicott’s double bogey shifted the balance. Though Daly bogeyed the second hole, he rebounded with birdies at holes 4, 5, 6, and 8 to seize control. Despite a bogey on 13, Daly’s birdies on 16 and 17 secured his commanding victory.

Daly’s win capped a strong summer, which included three consecutive top-15 finishes on the Elite Amateur Golf Series: third at the Northeast Amateur (64-68-71-73) and T15 at the Trans-Mississippi Amateur (68-68-75-71).

The Razorbacks had two more standouts: Thomas Curry and Camden Smith, both finishing tied for third at 285 (-3) in a four-way tie, with Smith officially taking third place after a scorecard playoff.

Smith, a rising junior and recent transfer from Georgia, surged up the leaderboard with an even-par 72 on Friday and then matched Daly for the low round on Saturday with a 68, climbing 22 spots in the process.

His third round included a hole-in-one on the par-3 8th, his fourth career ace, and a holed shot from the fairway for eagle on the 10th. In the final round, Smith holed out again from the fairway on the par-4 9th for his third eagle of the championship, completing rounds of 72-73-72-68.

Curry, a rising junior from Texarkana, maintained his composure with an even-par round of 72 on Saturday. His steady performance resulted in rounds of 71, 72, 70, and 72 to match Smith at three-under 285 for the week.

The Razorbacks’ strong showing at Blessings highlighted the depth and promise of the program.

For Daly II, the victory not only delivered a prestigious amateur title but also a ticket to one of the sport’s most storied tournaments, where he’ll look to continue building on the legacy established with this breakthrough win.

Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.

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