In August 1991, John Daly arrived at the PGA Championship as the ninth alternate and walked away with the trophy. Thirty-five years later, his face was on Daniel Suárez’s No. 7 Chevrolet at the NASCAR Cup Series championship race. Since that breakthrough win, Daly has been suspended by the PGA Tour, entered alcohol rehab, and lost multimillion-dollar sponsors. Yet a sport that calls itself a gentleman’s game has somehow kept a seat at the table for him.

To see why that works, go back to where the image began. 

Daly arrived as a folk hero, not a rebel. He beat Bruce Lietzke by three shots at Crooked Stick and was named Rookie of the Year that December. But the goodwill did not last long.

Daly won the 1992 B.C. Open and entered alcohol rehab three months later. And years later, his career continued to swing between sporting success and personal turmoil. Four marriages, compulsive drinking, and gambling followed, with Daly claiming he lost $50 million to $60 million at the tables.

By 2009, he was playing in Europe while banned from the PGA Tour, and Loudmouth’s chief executive said every sponsor had dropped him.

Interestingly, Daly has never tried to shake the bad-boy label. In fact, he has even turned it into a brand. “The only rules I follow are the rules of golf.” 

To be fair, that image has also helped him connect with fans. And as SI’s Rick Reilly told CBS, fans love Daly because he is human and flawed, the opposite of Tiger Woods.

That connection has proved valuable well beyond golf. His latest example came at NASCAR’s championship weekend.

An irrelevant scorecard, a very relevant face

Daly was quick to acknowledge the unusual partnership in Spire Motorsports’ announcement, saying:

“I’ve had my face on a lot of things over the years…”

The livery was part of a partnership with Modo, a gaming app that has used Daly as a brand ambassador since 2024. With Suárez already out of the title fight, the paint scheme gave the car another talking point. Daly attended the race and joined the team on the grid before the green flag. A second design also appeared on Nick Sanchez’s No. 77 Truck Series entry two days earlier.

But notably, the partnership was not about his playing record. In fact, Daly has no wins or top-10 finishes on PGA Tour Champions in 2026. But his scorecard has become secondary to his marketability.

What Daly sells now is a personality fans recognize, not a winning streak.

Reilly had spotted that appeal years earlier. Speaking about Daly’s tournament merchandise trailer, he observed: “He’s bringing NASCAR to golf.” At the time, it was a comparison. Now, a stock car carries Daly’s face.

A tradition that survives anything

That appeal has also kept him a Masters-week fixture in Augusta.

For nearly three decades, he spent the week in an RV outside the Hooters on Washington Road, just over a mile from the course. He reportedly made around $780,000 selling merchandise during the 2024 Masters and extended his Hooters contract in May 2025.

However, the restaurant closed in July 2025 amid corporate bankruptcy proceedings, and the building was demolished that November. Daly simply found another home for his master’s-week routine.

In April 2026, he greeted fans at Topgolf Augusta and sold merchandise at nearby Top Dawg Tavern. The temporary arrangement soon turned into something bigger. On October 20, Topgolf announced a multi-year content and merchandise partnership with Daly, keeping him in Augusta for Masters weeks in 2027 and 2028. The deal also introduced two signature John Daly cocktails at 55 Topgolf venues.

Topgolf cited his “candid personality, quick wit, and love for engaging with fans.” 

In other words, his appeal does not depend on playing at Augusta. Even without a place in the Masters field, Daly has secured a multiyear presence during its biggest week.

Daly’s outlandish style is his economy

His clothing business follows much the same formula. Loudmouth’s chief executive recalled how Daly was playing with former Bears quarterback Jim McMahon when he noticed fans asking more about McMahon’s pants than Daly’s Tour troubles. McMahon suggested he contact Loudmouth, and the two sides reportedly wrote a contract on a napkin in March 2009.

The same executive says Daly’s orange and pink argyle pants at a Madrid pro-am became one of Yahoo’s most-commented stories of the year and left Loudmouth out of stock. 

Compare that with the tour’s other loud dressers. Jason Day’s urban-camo-and-shorts combination at the 2026 U.S. Open practice rounds drew the internet’s ire. Augusta National asked him to remove a vest in 2024 that Day said looked like a billboard.

Day explained how his looks get chosen. “…they send you the scripting…”

The business attraction doesn’t end at apparel only; it extends to his drinks venture too. John Daly Cocktails, made by Good Boy Vodka, blend natural tea and fruit juice. Good Boy says its products sit in more than 600 Target locations. The brand name takes the “bad boy” label and turns it into a punchline that sells. 

Golf’s complicated relationship

All of this sits awkwardly alongside golf’s carefully guarded image. This July, the Kaulig Companies Championship and Northern Ohio Golf Charities Foundation honored him with the Ambassador of Golf Award. Organizers recognized his fearless play, larger-than-life personality, and charitable work, including his support for children and military families. Previous recipients include Gerald Ford, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus.

Of course, his appeal is not universal. Some fans criticized him online after he spoke about how much of his own vodka he could drink. Still, brands continue to see value in the attention he attracts.

At 60, Daly has the next two Masters weeks lined up through Topgolf, with a new event also in the works. His appeal has always extended beyond his results, and golf has never quite been able to turn away from its biggest bad boy.