10 Facts About John Daly

Facts about John Daly, an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions.

Transcript

00:00One of the most exciting characters to ever grace the game of golf, John Daly has been

00:05one of the most enjoyable, unpredictable and maverick golfers of the last 30 years.

00:11He's led a fascinating life on and off the golf course, so let's get to know the American even

00:17better here with 10 interesting facts. Born in California in 1966, Daly actually grew up across

00:24the American South. He's lived in Arkansas, Virginia, Louisiana and Missouri. He took up the game of

00:30golf aged four. When John was 10, his family moved to Locust Grove, Virginia, where he played golf

00:37at the Lake of the Woods golf course. He won the Spring Club Championship aged 13,

00:42defeating all the male members. The club promptly changed its rules barring juniors from future

00:48open club competitions. His first set of clubs were an adult set that he cut down himself.

00:53They were so long and heavy that on his backswing, the club kept going past parallel.

00:59In short, these clubs created Daly's famous overswing that we know today.

01:03Daly attended the University of Arkansas from 1984 to 1987 on a golf scholarship.

01:09His golf team coaches were Steve Loy and Bill Woodley, but Daly had a tricky relationship with

01:15both due to his drinking problems and infrequent class attendance.

01:18Daly qualified for the 1986 US Open as an amateur, but he missed the 36 hole cut with scores of 88 and 76.

01:27John Daly has won two of golf's majors, the 1991 PGA Championship and the 1995 Open Championship.

01:35He was the ninth and final alternate at the 1991 PGA Championship after Nick Price had to withdraw last

01:41minute to attend the imminent birth of his child. Daly went on to win the event by three shots and was

01:47propelled from unknown rookie to international celebrity in the space of a weekend.

01:52Despite these two major victories, Daly is the only eligible two-time major winner

01:57to have never been selected for a Ryder Cup team. John Daly has a flowing self-taught golf swing which

02:03is built for raw power and distance. As enjoyable as this is to watch and as successful as it has been

02:08at times, Daly's golf swing has contributed to his inconsistent performance during some tournaments.

02:14Since almost perfect timing is required for proper execution of such a powerful golf swing,

02:19Daly's career has had its peaks and troughs.

02:22Did you know John Daly has also had a music career? In 2007, he provided backup vocals for Kid Rock

02:29and he has released three country and western albums under his own name. His most recent album,

02:35Whiskey and Water was released in March 2022 and Willie Nelson has had a guest appearance on Daly's

02:42first album, My Life. In his 2006 autobiography, Daly claims he has lost between 50 and 60 million dollars

02:50gambling. Daly and his son John Daly II signed a deal with Hooters in 2022. The two-time major

02:58winner and his son will promote the risque US restaurant chain via social media and some branded

03:04apparel. As well as his 19 professional wins on various tours, John Daly is credited by the PGA

03:11Tour with having the highest ever score on a single hole. He had an 18 on a par 5 during the 1998 Bay

03:18Hill Invitational. So there you have it, 10 facts about the true enigma that is John Daly. While

03:26these facts barely scratch the surface of Daly's fascinating life and career so far, I hope you've

03:31learned a lot about one of the game's most famous names. For more facts and information about your

03:36favourite players, you can visit the tour section on the Golf Monthly website.