Phil Mickelson shares his amazement on John Daly’s gameplay from BC Open 1992: ‘didn’t hit any range balls’

John Daly is set to return to Endicott for the 2025 DICK’S Open, scheduled from July 11 to 13 at the En-Joie Golf Course. Ahead of the event, the tournament’s official Instagram account posted a throwback video where Phil Mickelson recalled Daly’s iconic win at the 1992 BC Open, held at the same course.

In the clip, Mickelson shared a candid memory of Daly’s carefree yet dominant performance from over three decades ago. He recalled how Daly arrived barely 15 to 20 minutes before teeing off, skipped the driving range, hit a couple of putts, and then stepped straight onto the course.

"John, when I played with him and he won the BC Open in 1992, didn't hit any range balls, showed up 15-20 minutes before he teed off, hit a few putts, he'd rifle one ball off into the trees somewhere across the parking lot, and then he'd go tee off and he'd won. And he drove it so great on a course that was tight, and he just took that driver on every hole, driver hitting irons and stuff, he just blasted it and dominated," Mickelson said.

Daly responded to Mickelson's statement, asking,

"Are We still playing on that course?"

The video was originally recorded a few months ago during a YouTube match where Mickelson and content creator Grant Horvat teamed up against Daly and his son, John Daly II, in the second edition of their 2v2 series.

Now 59, John Daly returns to the same venue for his seventh start of the 2025 PGA Tour Champions season. While he hasn’t recorded a win or top-10 finish this year, he has successfully made the cut in every event he’s completed. His season began with a T56 finish at the Hoag Classic, followed by a T75 at The Galleri Classic. He later secured T50 at the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational and finished 77th at the Insperity Invitational. At the Regions Tradition, Daly withdrew after just seven holes, but bounced back with his best finish of the season, a T27, at the American Family Insurance Championship.

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John Daly shares physical struggles months after hand surgery

John Daly has opened up about his recovery following hand surgery, sharing that he’s still facing physical challenges months after the procedure. The two-time major champion underwent his 16th surgery in four years in January to treat tangled tendons. It's a condition caused by inflammation between the muscle and the bone.

In a recent conversation with the Associated Press, Daly said the recovery hasn’t been easy, joking,

“I’m like Lazarus — I keep coming back from the dead. Waking up is a win for me.”

Despite returning to the Champions Tour at the Hoag Classic just two months after the operation, John Daly admitted he’s still not at his best. He noted difficulty hitting three-quarter shots and said putting has also been a struggle.

Earlier this year, Daly posted a photo from his hospital bed on Instagram, thanking his doctor for the successful surgery and expressing hope to get back to swinging soon.