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John Daly remains among the most popular golfers despite no longer actively playing on the PGA Tour. But did you know that the golfer who has been a Major Champion twice suffers from bladder cancer? Daly announced the terrible news in 2020 and went through the process of his medication.

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However, it also affected his life in several ways. He has had to follow a number of restrictions for health reasons.

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John Daly: His battle with bladder cancer

Daly was diagnosed with bladder cancer almost two years ago. He informed his cancer was benign, but the treatment was to continue.

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“I go back in May and I’ve got to do once every six months now instead of three, but I’ve still got to do it for five years.”

Read more: A $3 million Loss Once Forced Bad Boy of Golf John Daly to Make a Decision About His Future in Golf

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Daly once had a crazy bet with Fuzzy Zoeller that if the former went past 50, Zoeller owed him $150,000. While Daly has indeed gone past that figure, the cancer revelation was a reminder of life’s grim nature.

He was still able to find a positive aspect to be happy about. He was happy that the cancer was treatable and further said, “But I’m probably looking at chemo for the next five to seven years,”

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“The first chemo kicked my bu**. I’m just praying maybe they got it.”

A significant overhaul in diet for Daly

In addition to his therapy, Daly revealed he was denied to munch on his favorite items because they caused his cancer. His food intake has been long known to the public over the years, but it seems like it is about to undergo a massive yet healthy change.

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“Everything I love to eat and drink causes the stones that causes the cancer,” Daly said. “Alcohol. Beef. Milk. Diet drinks. I’ve tried to cut back on the smokes. Thank God I don’t like energy drinks because they’re the worst.”

Thus, the golfer has a lot of dietary restrictions that he needs to follow.

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USA Today via Reuters

Daly continues to play golf on the Champions Tour whilst recovering from the disease. Now 56 years old, the 1991 PGA Championship winner doesn’t possess the same swing and distance as he once used to.

He debuted as a huge at the circuit, leading the distance ahead of other renowned names. Since distances began to be measured, a host of golfers have led on average distances on more than one occasion. Only two golfers have made it more than twice – Ben Hogan had the highest maximum average on 5 occasions.

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Watch this story: John Daly reveals the real reason why he bought a golf course and his astounding personal best there

Then comes John Daly at an astounding 12 times on the circuit. In fact, he was unmatchable for a period between 1997 to 2003, wherein he topped the distance charts by a mile.

However, he would like to feel he played a small part in changing the perception of the long game.

He once hoped his presence in the game of golf would have brought about changes. As long as Daly breathes, he won’t stop making new headlines, for all sorts of reasons.

What do you think about John Daly as a golfer? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

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Sharan Nair

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Sharan Nair is a Senior Golf Writer at EssentiallySports. He constantly covers the ongoing PGA vs LIV Golf tussle as it progresses. With over 600 articles to his name, Sharan masters the sport with his in-depth knowledge and research that is reflected in his meticulous coverage of all the Majors. As an avid fan of Tiger Woods, Sharan firmly believes that Woods' 2019 Masters win was the greatest comeback in sports history. As a sports journalist, he aspires to one day sit down for an interview with the golf great himself. In his free time, Sharan loads up on some good golf reads; his favorite being 'The Glorious World Of Golf' by Peter Dobereiner.

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Rohini Kottu

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