John Daly to Compete at Regions Tradition, Skips PGA Championship

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — John Daly plans to compete in the Regions Tradition next week but will miss the PGA Championship. The Regions Tradition, which takes place in Birmingham, is the first of five major tournaments on the PGA Tour Champions, and it coincides with the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“I can go there and miss the cut and get $6,000,” Daly said, referring to the PGA Championship, which paid $4,000 to players who missed the cut last year. “But I’m playing Birmingham. I love Regions. They’re a great sponsor. But why are they scheduling Regions the same week as the PGA Championship, where I can see Brooks [Koepka] and all the guys?”

May is typically crowded for golf, and the Regions Tradition avoided Mother’s Day week due to support issues. The Senior PGA Championship follows the PGA Championship at Congressional. Scheduling was also influenced by NASCAR at Talladega on April 27.

Daly is not at his best after undergoing surgery on his left hand in January. He has struggled with his shots, particularly on three-quarter swings, and finished at 27-over par in the Insperity Invitational, a tournament he previously won.

Despite his health challenges, including 16 surgeries and battle with bladder cancer, Daly remains determined to continue playing on the PGA Tour Champions. “I’m like Lazarus — I keep coming back from the dead,” he said. “Waking up is a win for me.”

He is not the only former PGA champion skipping the tournament. Rich Beem, who won at Hazeltine in 2002, opted out this year after a disappointing performance last year at Valhalla. Beem now works for Sky Sports and cited a lack of preparation time for the tough Quail Hollow course.

“I got my [butt] handed to me last year,” Beem said. “Even though I had success at Bethpage [in 2019], you lose 10 yards, you might as well lose 100.” He plans to skip Aronimink next year but aims to return for the PGA Championship in 2027 in his home state of Texas.

Also missing the championship are Davis Love III, recovering from heart surgery, and Y.E. Yang.