John Daly: Golf’s Most Unpredictable Star

Published 05/25/2017, 12:23 PM EDT

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A sports star can transcend their profession to become something more, from a simple competitor to famous name. This can go a step further as they can be more well known for their personality and eccentricities than their ability. They can capture the public’s imagination, whether for good or ill. It can be their antics inside or outside the sport that makes them renowned and when it comes to the world of gold, no player stands out more than John Daly.

Daly has been playing professionally for over thirty years, racking countless wins, trophies, tournaments and more, including the PGA Championship in 1991 and The Open Championship in 1995. He is the first PGA Tour player to average than 300 yards per drive throughout a full season, and has achieved this feat multiple times, which has resulted in the nickname “Long John.”

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The 51-year old from Phoenix really stands out because of his attitude. While golf can be seen as gentlemanly game played at country clubs, he doesn’t have any of that. He acts true to himself, which is someone more, gruff and outspoken. Some of his more infamous incidents include throwing his putter into a pond and refusing to register his score, resulting in a disqualification from the tournament, breaking a spectator’s camera and hitting a series of seven balls into the water and then quitting the tournament during the Australian Open after receiving a penalty.

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Daly’s no-nonsense personality can hide other facets of his personality, such as his charity work. Daly donated $30,000 to the family of man who died during the PGA Championship in 1991 and works with many children’s charities, such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. While you’re checking out New Jersey Online Casinos, you can discover more about Daly’s love of gambling, in which he has won over $45 million in his life, but lost $98 million. He has also been successful in business with his Loudmouth Golf clothing line and has also written and performed music, working with the likes of Kid Rock and releasing his own studio albums.

Many of Daly’s troubles have come far from a golf course. He has struggled with alcohol, attributing it to a tough childhood. He faced health issues several years ago and received lap-band surgery, which would limit the amount of food he can consume, resulting in him losing over 100lbs. Daly has been married four times in his life, with his last marriage ending badly. He has a son, John Daly II.

Daly has twenty-one professional wins under his belt, with his most recent being in April 2017 when he won the Insperity Invitational. With a long and exciting career behind him, but showing no signs of stopping, John Daly will likely further cement his legend with both his skill and his personality.

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Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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