The media has a habit of blowing everything out of proportion; it doesn’t matter if it’s with celebrities or athletes. And that was exactly the case with John Daly at the 2019 PNC Championship. Tiger Woods was apparently considered to be John Daly’s nemesis after the same tournament, but was that correct? No! And Daly himself said it.

Daly was asked for his thoughts when Tiger Woods questioned his use of a golf cart during the tournament at Bethpage Black. Woods had said, “As far as JD taking a cart, well, I walked with a broken leg, so…” referring to when he played and won the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines with an apparent broken leg. Woods’s statement stirred up some controversies in the already topsy-turvy golf world. The golfers were put in the picture of nemesis, but Daly cleared it all up, blaming the common enemy, the media.

Daly responded that Woods did not know the facts because the media had not informed him of Daly’s health issues. “Yeah, but he didn’t know the facts because the media, ‘the media’ (air quotes), didn’t tell him I had diabetes, I had bad knees, my hips were out, and all this stuff,” Daly said. And now that all the talks are out in the open, the two top players in the golf industry have nothing but respect for each other.

Speaking on the Full Send Podcast, Daly explained that Woods didn’t know the full story, including his diabetes and knee and hip issues. “He apologized to me at dinner the other night. I mean, he’s fine. I love Tiger,” Daly said. JD also texted Woods after the near-fatal crash and asked him to feel better and recover soon. The 15x major champion appreciated those texts, and said to JD sometime after it, “Man, thank you so much for the texts. It means a lot to me.” This was not the first time the media had run Woods’s name through the mud.

Tiger Woods’s bad experiences with the media

Tiger Woods recalled his bitter experience with the media in a 2015 interview. Woods has a record of always attending post-round interviews when he missed one and the media was not having it. “I think it was eight years ago, when I never missed a post-round interview. And the first time I did, they crucified me,” said the PGA Tour pro. And well, it sounds like something the media would do.

Woods felt the media’s reaction was unfair, especially compared to other golfers who were given a pass for bad rounds. He pointed out the double standard, saying, “When I didn’t do it, they just killed me for it. How many guys got a pass for shooting a bad round?” Woods believed the increased media exposure during his playing career made it harder for him to miss an interview without facing criticism. Woods’s experience is harsh proof that with great success comes great responsibility. And the constant public attention can be both a blessing and a curse.