John Daly is making a return to competitive golf later this week on the PGA Champions Tour, just weeks after undergoing emergency surgery on a hand injury.

Daly left his fans on social media in shock in January, after posting a picture from a hospital bed following the surgery. “Emergency hand surgery… thankful (it) went great and Doc McClimans for taking care of me. Be back playing in no time!” the former Open champion said on X.

And the veteran star is a man of his word, with Daly making a comeback to competitive golf just two months after his surgery, with the 58-year-old teeing it up at this week’s Hoag Classic at Newport Beach Country Club.

Speaking In a clip on social media, Daly said of his return to action: “It’s good to be back. It’s been a little brutal, but the hand’s about 80 percent. So figured I’d come here. I love playing in the Hoag Classic. Every year, the guys are so great. So we’ll see what happens.”

The two-time major champion also delved into his injury, revealing he had been in surgery a whopping 16 times over the last four years. The tendons were all wrapped around each other. “[The doctor] doesn’t understand how I played last year,” the California-born star added.

“But he put it back, attached it to the forefinger or something. 16 surgeries in four years, I’ve lost count pretty much.” During his time away from the action, Daly had his say on the ongoing politics away from the golf course, with the PGA Tour in talks with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF).

Ever since announcing a framework agreement in June 2023, the PGA Tour has been negotiating a peace deal with PIF in a bid to end the ongoing split within the sport. According to Daly, the two tours should come together. “If those guys want to go to LIV and they’re going to pay them a lot of money,” he said.