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‘John Is Not Welcome’: John Daly Once Got Slammed for ‘Unacceptable’ and Bitter Behavior at a Professional Event

Published 08/16/2022, 6:00 PM EDT

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The struggles of John Daly with his anger have always been a topic of discussion in the world of golf. The controversial golfer doesn’t shy away from displaying his emotions on the golf course. However, once his antics on the golf course almost got him banned from the tournament for life. We take a look into the infamous incident from 2011 when Daly decided to walk off the course.

Back in 2011, John Daly was participating in the Australian Open at The Lakes. It wasn’t a memorable day for the 2-time Major champion as he had a series of poor shots.

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Eventually, as the tournament progressed, Daly’s frustration got the better of him and he decided to walk off the course. Following his withdrawal from the event, the golfer faced massive public scrutiny from the Australian fans and more importantly the organizers of the event.

More details on the walk-off of John Daly

Things only got worse for Daly as he hit a double bogey on the ninth hole. He then received a two-stroke penalty on the tenth hole for hitting a driving range ball from a bunker instead of his ball. As spectators laughed and tournament officials erupted in rage, Daly hit seven consecutive shots into the lake in front of the par-5 11th, emulating the 18 strokes he took at Bay Hill’s sixth hole in 1998.

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After every stroke, Daly extended his arm to his caddie and fired from about 230 yards until he ran out of golf balls. Daly was 15 strokes into the hole. He then decided to rip the Velcro on his glove, walked to his playing partners Hunter Mahan and Craig Parry, and then left the course with his then 8-year-old son John Patrick by his side. Each shot got worse, coming up 30 yards short and missing wide right by the same distance.

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A few days later, John Daly shared his thoughts on the incident on Twitter. He wrote, “When u run out of balls, u run out of balls.” Trevor Herden, the Australian Open tournament director, was unhappy with Big John.

Herden fired back at Daly for his statement on the incident. He said, “If you run out of golf balls, and you are acting in a professional manner, you will call a rules official and we will get the type of ball he is playing with and replenish his stock”. He also mentioned banning the golfer for life from participating in the Australian Tour. “John is not welcome at Coolum,” added, the CEO of the PGA of Australia, Brian Thorburn.

However, Daly wasn’t technically banned from playing in Australia. Though his invitation was withdrawn, he did participate in the Australian Tour sanctioned Pro-Am event a few weeks later. The incident just adds to the dirty laundry list of Daly’s multiple incidents over the years. Despite his controversial lifestyle, Daly still managed to make the most out of his golf career.

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What’s next for John Daly in his career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Watch This Story: John Daly Once Had a Casual Response After Making a Bold Move Against a Golf Writer

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Written by:

Abdul Bari Khan

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Abdul Bari is a Golf writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed his Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Abdul is currently pursuing his Master’s in the same. With great affection for the world of sports, this avid golf lover turned to the course at a young age.
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Edited by:

Manaal Siddiqui

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