Despite devastating damage to his home in Clearwater Beach, two-time major champion John Daly remains in the field for the PGA Tour Champions Constellation Furyk & Friends, which begins on Friday at the Timuquana Country Club.
Daly posted on Instagram on Sept. 27 that his home sustained heavy water damage, but his family was unharmed.
“For everyone that has reached out, my family are all safe, but all our homes are not as water is pouring out of every crevice,” Daly said in the post. “Total loss and devastation after living here all my life! I still cannot imagine ALL we have lost, but we are SAFE and all can be replaced! Praise God!”
Daly was scheduled to play in both Furyk & Friends pro-ams Wednesday and Thursday. He is in the morning wave each day, with shotgun starts beginning at 7:45 a.m.
Daly and Boo Weekley received sponsor invitations.
Daly, who remains one of the PGA Tour Champions fan favorites, is making his third start in the Furyk & Friends. He withdrew last year after rounds of 76-78, but had a strong tournament in 2022, posting three under-par rounds in a row to tie for 19th at 4-under 212.
Daly, who won the 1991 PGA and the 1995 British Open, has made 15 starts this season and earned $56,361. His best finish was a tie for 22nd at the American Family Insurance Championship.
Tickets for the tournament are on sale at constellationfurykandfriends.com.
Eric Axley makes Furyk field with flair
Three players were added to the Furyk & Friends field through a Monday qualifier at the TPC Sawgrass Dye’s Valley.
One of them, Eric Axley, will remember the week regardless of how he does in the main draw.
Axley shot 4-under-par 66 to finish second in the qualifier, one shot behind Kris Blanks and a shot clear of Garrett Willis. But Axley assured his spot at Timquauna with an albatross at the par-5 17th hole, which measures 499 yards.
Axley is a PGA Tour Champions “rookie,” having turned 50 years old in April. He has played in four events with a top finish of a tie for 55th in the U.S. Senior Open.
Timuquana Country Club: A tale of the tape
Furyk & Friends has been played at Timuquana three times (there are two years left on the contract), enough of a body of work to get a handle on how the PGA Tour Champions players have handled the historic Donald Ross track.
Here are some numbers:
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The players have averaged barely under par at 71.998.
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The toughest hole has been the par-4 18th (the sides are flipped for the tournament; the hole is usually the ninth) at 4.233. Next is the long par-3 fourth at 3.224, followed by the par-4 16th at 4.219.
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The easiest hole is the par-5 13th, averaging 4.631.
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Then there’s the par-4 second hole, with water fronting the green and shots with too much juice easily spinning off the front. The hole averages under par (3.925) but there have been 26 double bogeys. The hole with the next-most doubles is No. 16 with 17. But avoid the water and the short hole is vulnerable, leading all par-4s on the course with 189 birdies.
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Harder to figure is the key to winning. Is it hitting the typical Ross greens, which slope from back to front? Is it putting?
![Ernie Els putts on the ninth green during the second round of the Constellation Furyk & Friends PGA Tour Champions golf tournament Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023 at Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/9nDyPiQVya31G0XH_aQMzQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the-florida-times-union/cb355cfb4319ed5ebf675dac2912ec41)
History doesn’t have a clue, other than the lowest score always wins.
Phil Mickelson led the field in driving distance when he won in 2021 (averaging 301.8 yards) but hit only half the fairways (ranking last in the field of 81) and 68.5 percent of the greens, tied for 24th.
Steve Stricker tied for second in driving accuracy (hitting 85.7 percent of the fairways) but tied for 23rd in greens in regulation (66.7).
Dana Quigley’s formula in winning last year was hitting greens, tying for third at 74.1 percent.
PGA Tour: FedEx Cup Fall resumes in Mississippi
Event: Sanderson Farms Championship, Thursday-Sunday, Country Club of Jackson (Miss.).
What’s the purse? $7.6 million ($1,368,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner.
Who won last year? Luke List drained a 43-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat Ludvig Aberg, Ben Griffin, Scott Stallings and Henrik Norlander.
How to watch on TV: Golf Channel (Thursday, 4-7 p.m.; Friday, 4-7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 4-7 p.m.; Sunday, 3:30-6:30 p.m.).
Area players entered: Tyson Alexander, Bud Cauley, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Nico Echavarria, Harris English, Ben Griffin, Zach Johnson, Patton Kizzire, Philip Knowles, Ben Kohles, Keith Mitchell, Andrew Novak, Raul Pereda, Sam Ryder, Greyson Sigg, Tim Wilkinson, Carl Yuan.
Notable: FedEx Cup Fall is back after two off weeks and the Presidents Cup. … Rickie Fowler, Lucas Glover, Gary Woodland and past FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas lead the field. … The U.S. won the Presidents Cup 24-20 last week at Royal Montreal.
PGA Tour Champions: Tee time at Timuquana
Event: Constellation Furyk & Friends, Friday-Sunday, Timuquana Country Club, Jacksonville.
What’s the purse? $2.1 million ($315,000 to the winner).
Who won last year? Dana Quigley parred the last four holes after a double-bogey and beat Steven Alker by one shot.
How to watch on TV: Golf Channel (Friday-Saturday, 2-4 p.m.; Sunday, 7-9 p.m. (tape delay). NBC Sports App (Sunday, 2-4 p.m.).
Area players entered: David Duval, Fred Funk, Jim Furyk, Davis Love III, Vijay Singh.
Notable: The fourth edition of Furyk & Friends includes seven members of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Ernie Els, Fred Couples, Retief Goosen, Love, Singh, Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal. … Quigley is the only past champion in this year’s field. … Furyk, the tournament host, has finished solo third and tied for fourth in three years at Timuquana. … Also playing are John Daly, David Toms, Justin Leonard and Steven Alker.
Korn Ferry Tour: It’s all in the cards at French Lick
Event: Korn Ferry Tour Championship, Thursday-Sunday, French Lick (Ind.) Golf Resort, Pete Dye Course.
What’s the purse? $1.5 million ($270,000 to the winner).
Who won last year? Paul Barjon shot 64-68 on the weekend and beat Fabian Gomez by three shots.
How to watch on TV: Golf Channel (Thursday, 1-4 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 2-4 p.m.; Sunday, 12:30-3:30 p.m.); NBC Sports App (Friday-Saturday, 12-2 p.m.).
Area players entered (points rank): Taylor Dickson (6), Ricky Castillo (24), Danny Walker (25), Thomas Walsh (48), Doc Redman (57), Tano Goya (58), Cody Blick (60), Rick Lamb (73).
Notable: The top 30 on the Korn Ferry Tour points list will earn PGA Tour cards for the 2025 season. There are 17 players who have clinched their cards, leaving 58 players battling for the remaining 13 cards.
What are the (golf) odds?
Sanderson Farms Championship: Hard Rock Bet has Mitchell as the favorite at +1750, with Mackenzie Hughes, Seamus Power and Maverick McNealy at +2000.
Korn Ferry Tour Championship: Frankie Capan is +1600, followed by William Mouw and Brian Campbell at +1750.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: John Daly still in Furyk & Friends field after Helene damaged his home
