After being denied use of cart and suffering spider bite, John Daly withdraws from British Open

John Daly has officially withdrawn from the British Open.

Daly said Saturday that he planned to play next week at Royal Portrush despite not being cleared to use a golf cart by the R&A. However, the R&A announced Tuesday that Daly, who won the Open in 1995, has withdrawn due to a medical condition. He will be replaced by Kevin Streelman.

Daly, 53, is allowed to use a cart on the 50-and-older tour and was given permission to use one earlier this year at the PGA Championship, but his application for the 2019 Open was denied. Daly, who deals with degenerative arthritis in his right knee and said last week he will likely need a knee replacement, was the first player to use a cart at a major tournament since 2012.

In a statement, the R&A said the grounds at Royal Portrush are “not suited” for carts. The organization also said it wants to ensure that the tournament poses the same challenge to all players involved.

“We believe that walking the course is an integral part of the Championship and is central to the tradition of links golf which is synonymous with The Open. We must also ensure that, as far as possible, the challenge is the same for all players in the field,” the statement said.

But Daly’s decision to withdraw might be about more than his knee pain. Daly said in a Twitter message Sunday that he suffered a serious spider bite last week in England. He said the bite resulted in a “major infection” in his abdominal area.

Daly said he was bitten by a brown recluse spider and needed to be rushed to the emergency room in an ambulance. He also had to undergo surgery.

With the Open out of the question, Daly will now participate in the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky instead.

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