Stoops and Daly show a hit at PGA Barbasol Pro-Am. ‘We’ve had a lot of fun.’
It was quite the motley pair driving up the fairway on hole No. 6 at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville on Wednesday.
The PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship is being contested on Keene Trace’s Champions course for the second year in a row this week and the festivities kicked off with a Pro-Am tournament that featured a number of high-profile teams — none of which carried more star power than the five-man squad that included PGA legend John Daly and University of Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops.
Daly, the two-time major champion who rose to fame in the early 1990s with his propensity for Happy Gilmore-esque tee shots and his colorful personality, was added to the Barbasol field last week after officials denied his request to use a cart in the British open.
Daly, who suffers from arthritis in his knee, was given permission to use a cart during the Barbasol and on Wednesday Stoops took full advantage. Under an overcast sky and a light drizzle, spectators waiting near the No. 6 green watched as Daly chauffeured Stoops up the fairway in his cart. Wearing shorts that resembled swim trunks and an all-black windbreaker, Daly smoked a cigarette while he drove as Stoops, clad in a bright blue UK polo, smoked a cigar. The duo bantered like old friends, and Stoops later confirmed that they hit it off quite well.
“John’s a great guy. Really fun to be around, real easy to play with and he can still rip the ball, that’s for sure,” Stoops said. “He hit a great drive back there on eight, on the par-5. He bombed one out there, so he’s playing good.”
Daly, whose mammoth drives earned him the nickname “Long John,” played his college golf at Arkansas. Asked if that led to any tension between himself and the Wildcats’ head honcho, Daly replied “Nah, it’s SEC. We’re all family.”
Daly said that although Stoops certainly isn’t a scratch golfer, he can handle himself on the course.
“He just needs a little work, he doesn’t get to play that much,” said Daly. “I think Coach just comes out and likes to have fun and enjoy himself. It’s kind of a way for him to just get away and get his mind right sometimes.”
The par-3 No. 9 hole provided an apt illustration of the difference between a professional golfer and an amateur enthusiast. Teeing off from the tips, Daly easily carried the large pond in front of the tee boxes and landed on the green. Playing from the much closer white tees, Stoops’ shot came up short and landed in the water.
“So what you’ve gotta do,” Stoops told a member of the TV media who asked about the shot, “you’ve gotta just show me addressing the ball and show the result from one of my partners’ tee shots.”
Their team finished the shamble-style tournament at 1-under par, well out of first place. But Stoops said the day was a resounding success nonetheless.
“Getting to play with John Daly was a real experience, what a great guy,” Stoops said. “We’ve had a lot of fun.”
With the Pro-Am behind them, the remainder of the week will shape up very different for Daly and Stoops. Daly will be gunning for his sixth PGA Tour win, and he said he’s happy to be playing in Kentucky after his British Open plans fell through.
“It’s great that the Barbasol gave me this spot,” Daly said. “It’s a (PGA) Tour event, it’s still a great event and it’s just cool that I’m here and I’m gonna play. I’m still competitive as hell.”
As for Stoops, pleasure will also quickly give way to business. Stoops will be in Hoover, Ala., on Thursday for SEC Media Days as the Wildcats prepare to follow up on one of the most successful seasons in program history.
“Time for me to get back to work,” Stoops said. “Time for me to get back in the office and get going on ball.”
PGA Barbasol Championship
Where: The Champions Course at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville
When: Thursday through Sunday
Purse: $3.5 million
Defending champion: Troy Merritt
Website: BarbasolChampionship.com (for information about tickets, volunteer opportunities, event schedule, July 17 pro-am and more)
Thursday’s TV: 5-8 p.m. (Golf Channel)
This story was originally published July 17, 2019 at 4:53 PM.
