It is probably fair to say that modern day golf lacks and true characters, with few golfers having the sort of standout moments that John Daly gave the golfing world time and time again at the height of his career. Born on the 28th of April 1966, the man they called ‘Long John’ on account of his lengthy drives is the definition of a ‘character’, having been married four times and winning two Majors.
His appearance and attitude has always flown in the face of the ‘country club’ attitude that golf has put forward. Usually scene in colourful tops and even trousers, he was the first PGA Tour player to average drives of more than 300 yards across the course of a season. Long hitters are a dime a dozen nowadays, but when Daly was doing it it was far from the rage, helping him to stand out in a crowded field.
Part of what made Daly such a character on the Tour was the fact that he could be so inconsistent, playing brilliantly one minute and then being involved in controversial incidents the next. His exceptionally long backswing meant that he could be identified almost anywhere on the course, with his eye for a good business keeping the money rolling in off it.
The controversial and inconsistent nature of Daly means that he is the only man from either the United States of America or Europe to win two Majors but not be selected for the Ryder Cup. As well as being an astute businessman, Daly also also written and recorded music, releasing two albums.
John Daly’s Major Wins
| Years | Masters | US PGA | U.S. Open | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | ✕ | ✅ | ✕ | ✕ |
| 1995 | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✅ |
Masters Tournament Win: None
John Daly’s first foray into the Masters came in 1992 when he finished tied-19th. A year later and he achieved his best ever finish in the competition, ending up tied-3rd. That might suggest that he wasn’t far off winning the thing, but in truth he and the three other players he was tied with ended up six shots behind the eventual winner Bernhard Langer. He was consistent enough, posting a 70, 71, 73 and 69 for a total of 283 for the week, but there was no point in which he looked like a serious challenger. That was also the only time in his career that he finished in the top ten at Augusta National, missing the cut more often than not.
PGA Championship Wins: 1
If you wanted proof of the mercurial nature of John Daly’s talents, it can perhaps be seen in the fact that he won the PGA Championship at the first time of asking, then never finished in the top ten of the competition again. After winning it in 1991, he finished 82nd the year after, tied-51st in 1993 and then missed the cut in 20 of the next 27 appearances that he made in the tournament. The closest that he came to winning the competition for a second time came in 2012, more than 20 years after his only win, when he ended up tied-18th. A man who would both delight and frustrate the American audiences who turned up to watch him in the PGA Championship.
1991 – Rookie Victory as the Ninth Reserve
The time that John Daly truly delighted the fans was in 1991, which was also his debut in the PGA Championship. It was held at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Indiana, where his opening round score of 69 left him two off the leaders. A 67 on the second day catapulted him into the lead, one shot ahead of Bruce Lietzke in second, then a 69 on the penultimate day of the tournament allowed him to move three shots clear of the chasing pack. His worst round of the week came on the final day, carding a 71, but it was still enough to see him win his first Major with a total score of 276 for the week, three shots clear of Lietzke.
US Open Wins: None
The US Open was the first Major that John Daly played in, making his debut in 1986 when he missed the cut. He didn’t enter any of the Majors for the next two years, returning to the US Open in 1989 when he ended up tied-69th. Whilst it would be nice to suggest that Daly’s play in the tournament improved in the years that followed, the truth is that the US Open is the one Major that he didn’t even manage a top ten finish in. The closest that he got to even troubling the leaderboard was in 1996, when he turned up at the South Course of the Oakland Hills Country Club and came tied-27th; a disappointing outing for a talented golfer.
Open Championship Wins: 1
Whilst the US Open was not a competition that John Daly ever managed to truly take on, the same can’t be said of the Open Championship. He took part in it for the first time in 1992, ending up 75th, then returned a year later with a better finish, ending up tied-14th. It is yet another competition that demonstrated Daly’s lack of consistency, given the fact that he came 81st in 1994 and then won it a year later. After that, he missed the cut plenty of times and the closest that he got to being able to offer any sort of real challenge came about in 2005 when he finished tied-15th, missing the cut in 2022 and 2023 before withdrawing in 2024.
1995 – Play-Off Success at St Andrews
St Andrews is considered to be the home of golf and presents a challenge unlike virtually any other course in the world. With that in mind, it is perhaps somewhat suiting that it was at St Andrews’ Old Course that John Daly won his second, and final, Major. He ended day one on a five under par 67, which put him tied-1st alongside three other players. That was down to two after a 71 on the second day, then on day three he carded a 73, which put him on -5 and four off the top. Another 71 on the final day forced a play-off with Costantino Rocca after the Italian sunk a 65-foot putt for birdie on the 18th. Daly won the play-off with a 15 compared to Rocca’s 19.
