John Daly II Wins the 119th Southern Amateur Championship at Blessings Golf Club
JOHNSON, AR (July 19, 2025) – In a powerful and composed final-round performance, John Daly II of Dardanelle, Arkansas claimed the 119th Southern Amateur Championship at Blessings Golf Club, finishing with a 72-hole total of 10-under-par 278 to win by five shots.
Daly II, 21, closed with a final-round 68 (−4) after rounds of 70, 71, and 69 earlier in the week. Playing on a course known for its demanding layout and punishing rough, Daly made the turn at 33 on Saturday and held off the field down the stretch with steady play and clutch putting, including back-to-back birdies on holes 13 and 14.
It’s a landmark victory for the University of Arkansas standout and son of two-time major champion John Daly. This marks Daly II’s biggest win to date on the amateur circuit, etching his name into the George W. Adair Trophy alongside the likes of Bobby Jones, Justin Leonard, and Webb Simpson.
Final Leaderboard (Top 5)
- John Daly II – 70-71-69-68 = 278 (−10)
- Garrett Endicott – 68-67-73-75 = 283 (−5)
- Camden Smith – 72-73-72-68 = 285 (−3)
- Taishi Moto – 70-70-73-72 = 285 (−3)
- Thomas Curry – 72-70-70-73 = 285 (−3)
Daly II’s win caps off a memorable week in Johnson, Arkansas, where firm fairways, swirling winds, and punishing hole locations tested the field from start to finish. The third round saw only 16 players break par, and scoring opportunities had to be earned across all four days.
With this victory, Daly II joins an elite club of Southern Amateur champions and adds momentum to his upward trajectory in amateur golf. The win is expected to carry major weight toward selections for national teams and exemptions into premier amateur and professional events.
The Southern Golf Association extends its thanks to Blessings Golf Club for its exceptional hosting and to all players, officials, and volunteers for their contributions to a successful championship.
2025 Championship Overview
JOHNSON, AR (July 15, 2025) – 156 top-ranked golfers will travel to Johnson, Arkansas to compete for the 119th Southern Amateur Championship title from July 16–19, 2025. The field is represented by over 33 states and territories and 11 countries. 76 of the top 300 amateurs in the world are set to compete, including Jase Summy (ranked ninth) and Josiah Gilbert (ranked tenth) in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. 2024 Southern Junior Champion Tyler Sanford of Montgomery, TX and 2025 Southern Junior Champion Bailey Sutter of Vinemont, AL will also tee it up this week. Receiving 979 entries in 2025, ranging from past champions to first-time players, the field is set for the best amateurs in the world to compete on the Robert Trent Jones, Jr. designed course that was recently redesigned by noted architect Kyle Phillips.
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2025 Venue Preview: The Challenge of Blessings Golf Club
This year marks the 119th playing of the Southern Amateur Championship and the first time that Blessings Golf Club has hosted it. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and recently redesigned by Kyle Phillips, Blessings is renowned for dramatic elevation changes, sprawling bunkers, tight landing zones, and lightning-fast, undulating greens. Players must navigate blind shots, forced carries, and a routing that demands discipline. The course is designed to test the full spectrum of a player's game—and it's notorious for punishing mental mistakes.
Situated in the Ozarks near Fayetteville, Arkansas, Blessings has hosted NCAA Championships, with its exacting layout exposing even elite collegiate fields. Expect winning scores here to reward strategic plotting over raw aggression.
Championship Facts:
Yardage: 7586 yards (Par 36-36–72)
Course/Slope Rating: 78.8/155
Championship Format
72 holes of stroke play with a 36-hole cut to the low 50 and ties. The lowest score for 72 holes will be the Champion. In the event of a tie, a “sudden-death” hole-by-hole playoff will be held immediately following play. The order of playoff holes will be determined by the Rules Committee. Initial groupings will be for the first two rounds; the field will be regrouped by score after each cut.
Eligibility and Exemptions
Entries are open to any male golfer with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 3.4 under the World Handicap System as of the close of entries. Players extended a Bobby Jones Invitation by the SGA Amateur Competition Committee are exempt from sectional qualifying.
About the Southern Amateur Championship
First played in 1902 at Nashville Golf & Country Club in Nashville, Tennessee, the Southern Amateur is among the oldest and most prestigious amateur tournaments in the world. A.F. Schwartz of New Orleans defeated Percy Whitling 4 and 2 to win the inaugural event. Charles Howell III of Augusta, Georgia holds the record for most championships with three wins (1994–1996). The Championship was not played in 1918 due to World War I and 1942–1945 during World War II. The format was changed from match play to stroke play in 1964.
Recent champions include Nick Gabrelick (2023 at The Honors Course) and Wenyi Ding of China (2024 at Idle Hour Country Club in Lexington, KY) with a record 262 (-18). Ding became the first Chinese player—and just the fourth international player—to win the Southern Amateur.
The Elite Amateur Golf Series
2025 also marks the fourth year of the Elite Amateur Golf Series (EAGS), designed to challenge “the best of the best” in amateur golf. EAGS aligns the top amateur championships in a collective competition, the Elite Amateur Cup. In addition to the Southern Amateur, the Series includes the Sunnehanna Amateur, Northeast Amateur, North & South Amateur, Trans-Mississippi Amateur, Pacific Coast Amateur, and Western Amateur. Visit the EAGS website for more information.
Player Field and International Flavor
The 2025 field draws talent from over 33 states and territories and 11 countries—including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, China, France, Mexico, Morocco, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Ireland, and Japan. The roster features decorated collegiate players, state amateur champions, international standouts, and rising junior stars—promising an elite, diverse competition worthy of the championship’s storied history.
Check back daily for updated scores, round recaps, and highlights as competition intensifies.
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