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John Daly reveals that he has bladder cancer

John Daly revealed on Thursday that he has been diagnosed with bladder cancer.

The veteran PGA and Champions Tour golfer told Golf Channel that he received the diagnosis during a doctor visit after a bout with kidney stones.

“He did a CT with iodine,” Daly said. “They could see everything, said the kidneys are OK, looks like you passed a bunch, doesn't look like any stones are in there. But unfortunately, you have bladder cancer.

“After I did the CT, I was fixing to sip on a Diet Coke and he said, ‘Don’t drink anything. You need to get back in here and get this cancer out of you.’”

John Daly waits to putt on the 18th green during the second round of the PGA Tour Champions Principal Charity Classic golf tournament, Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
John Daly has bladder cancer. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Doctors expect cancer to return

Daly said that doctors were able to remove the cancer, but anticipated a high likelihood that it would return.

“He got it, but he said there’s an 85 percent chance it comes back,” Daly continued. “So I’ve got to go back and see him in three months. They will probably have to cut it out again.

“It’s probably going to come back, and then another three months that you don’t know. You just don’t know. Luckily for me, they caught it early, but bladder cancer is something that I don’t know all the details about it. But it doesn’t look like it may go away. We will just see what happens. Maybe there’s a miracle.”

After revealing the diagnosis, Daly thanked fans on Twitter for their encouragement and vowed to beat the odds.

Daly plans to cut back on consumption

Daly, 54, is a fan favorite for his everyman persona and success at the game’s highest level. He’s won five times on the PGA Tour and recorded major victories at the 1991 PGA Championship and 1995 British Open.

He’s also known for his less-than-healthy lifestyle and vowed to cut back on some of his vices as he looks to beat back cancer.

“I’m cutting way, way back on the Diet Coke and counting minutes before I can have a cigarette,” Daly said. “I’m trying to quit smoking. The doctors aren’t saying it’s too late. Unfortunately, it’s a cancer that keeps coming back. But I’m going to listen to them, and I’m going to try and quit smoking.”

If the cancer isn’t eliminated permanently, Daly said that he plans to keep living his life.

“If it comes back, it comes back,” Daly continued. “Six months to a year, if it doesn’t go away, I’m going to live my life. I’m gonna have some fun.”

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