John Daly suffers ‘total loss and devastation’ as Hurricane Helene sweeps through Florida

John Daly says he has suffered “total loss and devastation” as storms battered the United States’ south-east coastlines on Thursday.

Hurricane Helene moved inland overnight, bringing with it 140 mile-an-hour winds and forcing several states, including Florida and Georgia, to declare a state of emergency after meteorology experts described the conditions as “catastrophic” and “unsurvivable”.

According to the National Hurricane Centre in Miami, Helene struck the Big Bend area of Florida’s Gulf Coast – where Daly resides – just after 11pm local time.

The two-time major champion posted on Instagram to send “prayers for all those in the path of the Big Bend” alongside a screenshot of the storm radar and a house emoji pointing out his home near Tampa.

He added: “Please be safe during Hurricane Helene.”

Speaking to reporters on Thursday evening, Florida governor Ron DeSantis said: “When Floridians wake up tomorrow morning, we’re going to be waking up to a state where, very likely, there’s been additional loss of life. And certainly, there’s going to be loss of property.

“You’re going to have people that are going to lose their homes because of this storm. So please keep those folks in mind, keep them in your prayers.”

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That turned out to be the case for Daly, who remained upbeat despite the destruction.

In the early hours of Friday morning, he posted on Facebook to say: “For everyone that has reached out, my family are all safe but all our homes are not! As water is pouring out of every crevice! Total loss and devastation after living here all my life!

“I still cannot imagine ALL we have lost but we are SAFE and all can be replaced! Praise God!”

Alex Perry is the Associate Editor of bunkered. A journalist for more than 20 years, he has been a golf industry stalwart for the majority of his career and, in a five-year spell at ESPN, covered every sporting event you can think of. He completed his own Grand Slam at the 2023 Masters, having fallen in love with the sport at his hometown club of Okehampton and on the links of nearby Bude & North Cornwall.

Associate Editor