News
Daly withdraws from Greenbrier, engages Jason Sobel on Twitter
It’s not clear exactly what knotted John Daly’s American flag-patterned knickers, but he wasn’t happy with Golf Channel Senior Writer Jason Sobel.
It seems Long John wasn’t pleased by the insinuation of Sobel’s headline for the writer’s piece on Daly’s withdrawal from the Greenbrier Classic, his tweets, or both.
Before we get to the headline in question or the Twitter back-and-forth (because that’s how real men air their grievances in 2013), it’s fair to make the following point: It’s not clear what Sobel’s original headline was. Further, having some experience in writing for online outlets, I can say that the “teaser” headline on the front page is under the editor’s control, rather than the writer’s, generally speaking.
So, the click-through headlines on various portions of the Golf Channel website read:
“Daly facing elbow surgery, adds to WD total”
“Daly nears 40 career Tour withdrawals at Greenbrier”
However, the headline of Sobel’s piece (which he certainly could have changed during/after the brouhaha) reads, “Daly WD’s from Greenbrier, headed for surgery.”
All this by way of saying, we don’t know exactly what steamed Daly’s clams, or whether it was solely Sobel’s keystrokes.
The second possibility is that Daly didn’t read the article/see the headline and simply reacted negatively to this tweet from Sobel:
It’s pointless to speculate as to what Daly thought Sobel was insinuating with the tweet/headline. One guess, however, is that he felt Sobel was saying he withdrew too much/unnecessarily.
Of course Sobel, never one to let sleeping dogs lie, responded via Twitter. Daly, being of the same mind, replied too:
What are the “true facts” that Daly is referencing? Apparently the fact that he has a torn tendon in his elbow, which he has seemingly been playing with for some time, as per this tweet.
With this in mind, Daly also might be less-than-thrilled by this passage from Sobel’s column:
With Tiger Woods already sidelined because of a sore left elbow and unable to compete in this week’s Greenbrier Classic, one of the tournament’s other big draws, John Daly, bowed out early in his second round with a similar injury.
Sure, the injury is similar, in that it’s a malady of the elbow. However, a torn tendon requiring surgery is a bit more severe than Tiger’s tennis elbow.
Regardless, it’s been clear for some time that Jason Sobel isn’t a Loudmouth Golf pants-wearing member of the JD fan club. There are numerous examples of this, such as this 2010 piece he penned for ESPN titled, “Retired or not, Daly truly is done” — the tone of which you can surely guess.
Of course, when Daly tweets, “You kick players while they’re down is that what u report? Now, I understand what players meant about u! #scum,” you don’t get the feeling he has a Jason Sobel book sitting on his nightstand. Further, Daly seems to indicate that many pros are of the same mind toward the former ESPN journalist.
Whether you’re on Team Sobel or Team Daly on this one (or in general), it’s pretty clear that Twitter wasn’t the best venue for a discussion of differences and that a reconciliation between the two won’t be showing up in your Twitter feed anytime soon.
I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear
OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.
LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break
Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.
Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.
On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.
On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.
On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.
PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home
Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.
On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.
Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?
Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.
Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?
PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates
Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.
Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.
Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.
Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.
We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025
GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.
Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.
Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.
General Albums
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX
7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Tyboooo
Jun 30, 2014 at 12:22 pm
I wish they would quit giving him extensions. It’s not fair to the other guys out there.
He misses cuts more than he makes them. And if he does make a cut he is never close to the top of the leader board. Time to start earning your starts.
jc
May 28, 2014 at 5:29 pm
there are lots of guys who have won a major or two and you can find them on the minor tours trying to EARN their way back in. I last saw Daly at Riviera in L.A. IT was a warm day and john is wearing a heavy windbreaker and playing like crud. Of course he missed the cut. He should just quit and run a golf course (not the bar) and sell tshirts or something.
qabloona
Jul 10, 2013 at 2:43 pm
Don’t know anything about Sobel but if you watch PGA practice sessions at pro tournaments it is obvious that the other players have a genuine fondness for Daly. Watching them on the practice putting green at any tourney and and you see any number of players coming up to him and wishing him well.Wish him well.
wtfci
Jul 8, 2013 at 1:29 pm
Honestly, call your mark if you need to react. Like I want to know every spat you have. Spare me.
Søren Skadhede
Jul 8, 2013 at 3:33 am
“Talking” via Twitter like that certainly isn’t helping anybody. Now, I’m both on twitter, FB, linkedin etc., so this is not a bashing on modern communication means. But there are some drawbacks to places like twitter and facebook. To me, the clearest analogy – particularly here with JD & JS – is road rage: you sit in your own car with closed windows and doors locked screaming at everybody. Would you seriously do that if you where on a bicycle, or pulling into the same gas station and getting out of the car?
Thankfully, most people won’t, but very often services like twitter provide you with the same “protective bubble” as the cars does. One major difference though: the yelling in the car usually stays in the car – tweets remain and recycle…
PGAPankey
Jul 7, 2013 at 10:49 am
Regardless of who’s side you are on the fact is that Daly is taking a spot that could go to another player. These sponsors exemption spots are usually given to bigger name players in an attempt to draw fans. Totally understandable when the tournament organizers are in the business of getting more fans and bigger tv ratings. But whenever I see a story like this is always wonder about the “last guy out” who’s spot was taken by Daly. Playing in a PGATour event is a big deal for some guys, you hope that these sponsore exemptions really appreciate the opportunity. With surgery coming up it seems obvious that this wd is for good reason, but with 30+ in his career you have to wonder if a few wern’t a bit cynical.
Ryan
Jul 7, 2013 at 12:56 pm
Yeah, normally I’d side with Daly and say Sobel is being a jerk, but I mean, 38 career withdraws? Find someone else who has half that and I’d be shocked. We can’t keep doing the same, oh I feel so sorry for John, his 38th withdrawal is just as credible as the first. Sure, Sobel was being kind of a jerk, but there is a point where John Daly has to reconnect with reality and see the consequences of his actions, which frankly should mean sponsors exemptions going to up and coming kids with talent and desire like Jordan Speith or something like that. Giving them to Daly is just a waste and an embarrassment at this point.
c
Jul 7, 2013 at 1:00 pm
I dont see how John is taking someone else’s spot, the guy has won two majors and attracted huge galleries and new fans. You can say the same thing about Tom Watson, why is he playing, what is he trying to prove. I don’t think John wanted to have to WD it just happened
Joe Golfer
Jul 7, 2013 at 12:33 am
Seems like the writer of this article on GolfWRX has it right.
Daly seems to be responding to past slights against him by Sobel.
I don’t see anything in the current “tweets” that should set Daly off like that. He totally over-reacted, in this particular instance.
As for Sobel, I’m really not familiar with him, so I can’t give an opinion on his reputation or if he is a “negative writer”, but his brief tweets don’t sound malicious or as Daly asserts, kicking a player while he is down.
Pat M
Jun 16, 2015 at 5:15 pm
Sobel reminds me of Rich Lerner and Chris Berman. Nobodies with a big mouth who never played the game.
D T
Jul 6, 2013 at 10:46 pm
I think it’s sad that adult men are settling their differences going back and forth on Twitter, Facebook, etc., instead of talking face to face like men. At least make a phone call. The description of a man is changing for the worst daily.
donald davis
Jul 7, 2013 at 1:03 am
I am not a fan of either jason sobel or john daly. The golf channel has become unwatchable at times. Predictions and cliches and “johnny tour pros” everywhere. Boring. Bring back John Hawkins.
Marty
Jul 7, 2013 at 2:28 pm
definition of a man, lol
Marty
Jul 7, 2013 at 2:29 pm
Oop sorry, description of a man.
Lol
stephenf
Jul 14, 2013 at 2:53 am
Seriously. I was just thinking what a girl fight this was, but somebody will probably post and tell me that’s sexist. They’re probably right. I have a wife and two daughters at home (the only ones remaining out of five), and I don’t think any of them would fight it out with twitlanguage and phones over something like this.
Im nobody:(
Jul 6, 2013 at 9:55 pm
Poor John Daly the circus act is over:) maybe he should just fade off into the sunset:) he is taking up a spot that could be better used for an amateur player!
c
Jul 6, 2013 at 8:37 pm
Jason Sobel is a 25 handicap journalist on a good day
fairway fitter
Jul 6, 2013 at 6:44 pm
Sobel’s writing is sophomoric at best. Simply put; too many golf writers out there for GC to employ this guy.
Steve
Jul 7, 2013 at 8:07 am
Absolutely agree — Maybe he can get a job on ‘Morning Drive’ with the other yellow journalists.
Joey5Picks
Jul 6, 2013 at 12:59 pm
John Daly long ago became a circus act. A non-competitive time bomb tournaments would give a sponsor’s exemption to to draw fans. His self-destructive personality traits and lifestyle caught up with him. Personally, I have no interest in watching him play.
While Sobel’s articles may have been critical of Daly, are they wrong? Daly has WDed 30-whatever times. It’s a fact. No malice in reporting that as it’s part of a pattern.