US golfing cult hero John Daly forced to cancel guest appearance at East Kilbride club due to knee surgery

Two-time major Championship winner and American golfing icon John Daly has been forced to pull out of a special guest appearance at Torrance House Golf Club in East Kilbride this summer.

The flamboyant 56-year-old, who is renowned primarily for his incredible driving distance off the tee due to his exceptionally long backswing and remains one of the most popular names in the sport, had signed up to take part in an afternoon of rags to riches stories about the highs and lows of his career on Friday, July 28.

Limited tickets for the event were restricted to a capacity of 130 guests and cost £99 which included a 2-course lunch, an audience Q&A and a professional photograph with Daly. The event had already sold out, but the California native has now had to cancel the visit owing to knee surgery.

The 1995 St Andrews Open winner has had to contend with severe knee problems in recent years and is set to undergo a further operation in the coming weeks.

An email distributed by event organiser Aritistes International Management (AIM) read: “John Daly’s manager informed us over the weekend that John will be going in to hospital at the end of May or early June for surgery on his knee, therefore due to the recovery period we are unable to go ahead as planned with our event in East Kilbride on Friday 28th July.

“All tickets will be refunded over the next few days, please allow up to 7 working days for this to reach your account/card. We are sorry for the inconvenence that this may cause but this it out with our control.

“Thank you for your understand and co-operation.”

It is not the first time Daly has been forced to go under the knife after previously requiring extensive knee surgery in December last year, which kept him out of action for six months.

The former PGA Championship winner has wowed spectators with his colourful and wacky outfits and his Father Christmas-esque beard over the years. Daly was approved the use of a golf cart to get around the course last year by the PGA of America due to his well-documented health issues including arthritis in his right knee.

Speaking in May 2022, Daly said: “I hope I don’t get a lot of grief from the fans. My knee is screwed. I had the meniscus cut out. I have osteoarthritis so bad... I can walk up a hill, I just can’t walk down one.”