John Daly was far from his jovial self at Royal Troon. Except for the hanging cigar on his lips and the long beard, the veteran American golfer was all but unrecognizable. Daly withdrew without hitting a tee shot on Friday. However, the visuals of smoking grabbed more eyeballs than his reason for pulling out. 

It’s not uncharacteristic by Daly’s standards. After all, the 58-year-old is still the most colorful star the game of golf has ever seen. But smoking at the Open Championship is definitely a rare sight. So, many wondered if he would be fined again. 

Fortunately, Royal Troon doesn’t have a specific policy on smoking. Neither does R&A have a policy prohibiting smoking at The Open. So, Daly can rest easy knowing he doesn’t have to shell out more money despite sticking around for only one round. 

Notably, John Daly incurred $100,000 in fines during his time on the PGA Tour between 1991 and 2008. Daly filed a lawsuit in 2010, which made the 456-page document public. The Dardanelle resident has never hidden his love for booze or the subsequent troubles he endured. In a podcast with Tucker Carlson, the Wild Thing claimed to have beaten Tiger Woods while drunk. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that the 58-year-old was asked to admit to rehab seven times in his career. He also went through five suspensions. 

On-the-ground reports showed him nonchalantly strolling around the greens. The former champion eventually pulled out on Friday after opening his round with an 11-over. Notably, the veteran golfer also pulled out of the PGA Championship after carding an 11-over. However, at Royal Troon, it was supposed to be different. Even Daly was feeling that way. 

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John Daly experienced a sharp contrast between expectation and reality

Scotland brings good memories to John Daly. At St. Andrews, 29 years ago, the big-hitting American enjoyed perhaps the most glorious moment of his career when he lifted the Claret Jug. That 1995 victory rewarded him with an exemption until he turns 60. 

In an interview with the Press & Journal before the Open, Daly said, “I love links golf and I just got lucky I had an imagination which suited links golf. Now I need to work the ball around the bunkers because I can’t fly over them like I used to.” 

However, at Troon, John Daly couldn’t execute the plans as he hoped to. The turbulent round included a carding a quadruple bogey on the final hole. Teeing off at Royal Troon for the third time in his career, the five-time PGA Tour winner carded his second-worst Open round at 11-over 82 (Daly posted an 89 in the 2008 Open Championship). 

In the senior circuit, barring a T22 at the American Family Insurance Championship, John Daly has yet to break inside the top 50. In more recent times, he has been seen promoting Donald Trump’s $60 Bible. Daly also tweeted in support of the former POTUS after the Saturday shooting.