Sanford International kicks off with big ovations for John Daly, big hit for Padraig Harrington
Friday marked the first day of the Sanford International, and a plethora of PGA Tour Champions took to the tee boxes in hope of taking home the trophy and the $300,000 top prize.
Sanford International's inaugural year was in 2018, which was won by Steve Stricker. Former champions, Rocco Mediate (2019), Miguel Angel Jimenez (2020) and Darren Clarke (2021) all returned to Sioux Falls in hopes of repeating their wins.
Here are a few takeaways from the first day of the event.
John Daly gets a big ovation
He's turned into an icon.
When John Daly, the fun-pants-wearing, cigarette-wielding, worries-free golfer took to the tee box, the crowd at the Minnehaha Country Club swarmed the area to get a look at the 56-year-old. It also helped that 2019 Sanford International Champion Rocco Mediate was also in his group. Daly strolled up to the tee box in his own golf cart, parking just alongside the tee box at an angle.
Eventually, he took his clubs out of his Hooters bag (which he has a sponsor with) and stepped into the tee box with Thongchai Jaidee and Mediate. Maybe the biggest surprise of the day came when Daly was the one not smoking – instead, it was Mediate who lit up a stogie.
In true John Daly-ish fashion, the golfer drove his cart off the tee box, on an incline, making fans wonder if he was going to tip his cart. He didn't, and instead, he went down the first hole; salvaging a bogey.
Fans had one common theme in their remarks about Daly: he's still fun to watch.
Daly will need a big rally to get in contention though, he shot two-under par and is six strokes back of the leaders.
Padraig Harrington's risk ultimately pays off
Nearly most – if not all golfers chose to lay in on the first hole with an iron or hybrid, setting up a nice chip shot over the river and onto the green. But Padraig Harrington apparently didn't get the memo.
The Irishman stepped into the first tee box with his driver on a hole that was 348 yards long. The shot cleared the water, but landed into the rough on the right-hand side of the hole, setting up a difficult second shot. It looked and sounded like Harrington made the wrong choice at the time.
But Harrington was able to manage the bad lie, with a strong shot that got him into better playing conditions. Harrington's third shot managed to sneak into the hole, giving him a birdie.
Bernhard Langer and K.J. Choi also chose to use a club higher than an iron, selecting a hybrid or rescue club. Langer's shot landed up in the primary rough, and the German was able to salvage a par. Choi's shot landed into the fairway, and the South Korean parred the hole.
A tournament official confirmed that earlier in the week, an amateur took his driver onto the first tee box, and landed on the green.
Harrington finished the day at minus-4, four shots back of the leaders.
More: See photos from Pro-Am play ahead of the Sanford International golf tournament
Tanigawa, Sutherland record an eagles on Hole 16
Ken Tanigawa, from Arizona, had a strong first round, highlighted by an eagle on Hole 16. That hole is the longest at the Minnehaha Country Club at 551 yards.
Tanigawa had a good shot from the tee box that landed into the fairway. He took his second shot in the fairway, and on his third shot, Tanigawa found the hole – for an eagle. Tanigawa finished his back nine portion of the course with -4.
He wasn't the only one.
Kevin Sutherland, had a strong back-nine showing, including Hole 16, where he, like Tanigawa, eagled the hole after a strong second shot from the fairway. As of 4 p.m., those two were the lone golfers to earn eagles.
More: What to know before you go to the Sanford International golf tournament when it starts Friday
Tournament expects a big turnout
Throughout the time leading up to Sanford International, tournament officials called it the "best field" in history. And, that was apparent in the first round on Friday. On the first tee box, fans stood far and wide to see some of the PGA legends who have had success in the professional golf tours.
Those included Daly, Mediate, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Darren Clarke, Harrington, Ernie Else, Steven Alker, Fred Couples, Davis Love III, Steve Stricker and Y.E. Yang.
Paul Heinert, manager of media relations at Sanford, said they expect anywhere from 20,000 to 25,000 fans each day of the three-day tournament. That would mean roughly 60,000 to 75,000 fans will descend onto the Sanford International at the Minnehaha Country Club.
Sanford International results
Yardage: 6,729; Par: 70
First Round
Robert Karlsson 31-31—62
Darren Clarke 32-31—63
Kevin Sutherland 33-30—63
Clark Dennis 32-32—64
Ernie Els 32-32—64
Steve Flesch 33-31—64
Bernhard Langer 32-32—64
Jeff Maggert 31-33—64
Rocco Mediate 31-33—64
Scott Dunlap 33-32—65
Tim Petrovic 33-32—65
Kirk Triplett 32-33—65
Shane Bertsch 32-34—66
David Branshaw 32-34—66
Alex Cejka 31-35—66
David Frost 34-32—66
Padraig Harrington 33-33—66
Miguel Angel Jimenez 33-33—66
Brandt Jobe 33-33—66
Dicky Pride 31-35—66
Ken Tanigawa 34-32—66
Stephen Ames 33-34—67
Olin Browne 32-35—67
Stephen Dodd 32-35—67
Thongchai Jaidee 30-37—67
Rob Labritz 30-37—67
Davis Love III 33-34—67
Jose Maria Olazabal 33-34—67
Scott Parel 32-35—67
Tom Pernice 35-32—67
Gene Sauers 32-35—67
Paul Stankowski 33-34—67
David Toms 33-34—67
Mike Weir 32-35—67
Y.E. Yang 32-35—67
Steven Alker 34-34—68
John Daly 34-34—68
Brian Gay 30-38—68
Tom Gillis 33-35—68
Paul Goydos 33-35—68
Scott McCarron 34-34—68
Brett Quigley 35-33—68
Steve Stricker 34-34—68
Woody Austin 33-36—69
K.J. Choi 33-36—69
Fred Couples 34-35—69
Glen Day 34-35—69
Ken Duke 35-34—69
Fred Funk 34-35—69
Matt Gogel 33-36—69
Mario Tiziani 35-34—69
Billy Andrade 37-33—70
Cameron Beckman 35-35—70
Chris DiMarco 34-36—70
Joe Durant 34-36—70
David Duval 34-36—70
Bob Estes 34-36—70
Harrison Frazar 35-35—70
Jay Haas 33-37—70
Tim Herron 35-35—70
Lee Janzen 34-36—70
Jerry Kelly 34-36—70
Billy Mayfair 35-35—70
David McKenzie 34-36—70
John Senden 33-37—70
Wes Short 37-33—70
Stuart Appleby 34-37—71
Paul Broadhurst 36-35—71
Tom Byrum 34-37—71
Marco Dawson 35-36—71
Rod Pampling 35-36—71
Michael Allen 35-37—72
Ricardo Gonzalez 34-38—72
Colin Montgomerie 35-37—72
Corey Pavin 37-35—72
Roger Rowland 35-37—72
Joe Summerhays 36-36—72
Doug Barron 36-37—73
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: What happened at Sanford International PGA Tour Champions on Day 1
