Butler edges John Daly II to take The Dye at Crooked Stick

Golf continued its comeback from coronavirus at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Indiana, with The Dye Invitational playing host to some notable names in the junior golf ranks. Most of the amateur and junior tournaments being played are at the state or local level, but The Dye was the first tournament since the lockdown to host a national field. John Marshall Butler, a Louisville, Kentucky native and currently ranked No. 45 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, came out on top with an even-par 216 in the 54-hole event. Butler’s rounds of 73, 71, and 72 were enough to stay four clear of the field. Never having back-to-back bogeys or birdies, Butler traded eight bogeys for eight birdies on his way to the win. The class of 2020 golfer is committed to play for Auburn University. Finishing in a tie for second was a name that golf fans immediately recognize. John Daly II (Clearwater, Fla.), son of two-time major winner John Daly, looked to follow in his father’s footsteps this week at the host venue. The elder Daly memorably won the 1991 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick. Daly II tied the low-round of the boy’s tournament on Tuesday with a 2-under 70 that was bookended with bogeys on No. 1 and No. 18. Unable to stay consistent throughout the tournament, Daly II opened with a 74 and closed the tournament with a 76 to finish in a tie for fourth alongside Jordan Gilkison (Springboro, Ohio) and Drew Wrightson (Carmel, Ind.). On the girl’s side, Laney Frye (Nicholasville, Ky.), a University of Kentucky signee, took home the championship with a three-round total of 214. Frye, ranked No. 331 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, cleared the field by five strokes. Over the course of the three rounds, Frye tallied eight bogeys, a double-bogey, and a triple-bogey to go along with 11 birdies and two eagles. Kynadie Adams (No. 195 AJGA) of Gallatin, Tenn., finished second with a 54-hole total of 219 while Clemson commit Annabelle Pancake (No. 45 AJGA) of Zionsville, Ind. finished the tournament in third with a 54-hole total of 220.