Did John Daly make transphobic comments on LPGA golfer Hailey Davidson? Controversy explored
John Daly has been a controversial golfer for a very long time. He's an avid fan of former President Donald Trump and has always done things unconventionally. From his on-course attire to his eating habits, Daly often divides opinion among golf fans.
Daly was recently the subject of controversy again, over reports that he had allegedly made transphobic comments about transgender golfer Hailey Davidson. But how true are those reports?
They're not true at all. Daly hasn't made any statement about Davidson at the time of writing.
Was John Daly transphobic towards Hailey Davidson?
According to a report, John Daly said that LPGA Tour golfer Hailey Davidson was not feminine and that he could have done what she did and been quite successful at it.
The report alleged that the PGA Tour player said:
“I would’ve won 100 tournaments if I threw on a skirt and called myself a tranny. That dude is as feminine as a Ford F-150.”
This got many golf fans talking. The replies to the tweet were divided, with many saying they couldn't believe these comments from Daly and that they were disappointed. Others expressed pride that he was saying what he thought, and claimed that there was no issue with his comments.
Daly himself made no mention of the comments on his own socials. That is because he didn't say any of it.
The "report" comes from a parody account on X (formerly known as Twitter). They do have the Twitter Blue check, which earlier used to signify expertise or verification, but this mark was presumably bought and paid for. The account isn't an official news outlet.
A trip to their page will confirm that they don't post real news. The bio reads:
"Not for Boomers or Karens. Satire. Golf version of The Babylon Bee and The Onion. Parody."
X's new rules state that accounts must state they're a parody account to prevent the spread of misinformation. Their bio does state that, but golf fans wouldn't have seen that unless they went to the page. Therefore, it's easy to see why many believed the Daly's alleged comments to be true.
Daly has said controversial things before, like when he said he was praying for a Trump return to office in America. The golfer was quoted as saying on Tucker Carlson's show:
"[Trump] needs to win. I pray to God he wins. Just for the satisfaction of bringing our country back together, get some common sense going in here again. Look what he did in four years, how great was our country the four years he was in office. Now look at it, no secure borders. What the h*ll happened? Where did it go? I was loving the four years of 'Daddy Trump!' It's all gone to h*ll."
Daly is seemingly not ashamed of any of his opinions and is open to sharing them, but he didn't comment on Hailey Davidson. Any such reporting, including the above comments, is not accurate.