John Daly (golfer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Daly
Daly at the 2008 PGA Championship
Personal information
Full name	John Patrick Daly
Nickname	Wild Thing, Long John, Big John, JD, The Lion
Born	(1966-04-28) April 28, 1966 (age 59) Carmichael, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 11 in
Weight	250 lb (110 kg; 17 st 12 lb)
Nationality	United States
Residence	Dardanelle, Arkansas, U.S.
Spouse	Dale Crafton ​ ​ (m. 1987; div. 1990)​ Bettye Fulford ​ ​ (m. 1992; div. 1995)​ Paulette Dean ​ ​ (m. 1995; div. 1999)​ Sherrie Miller ​ ​ (m. 2001; div. 2007)​
Children	3
Career
College	University of Arkansas
Turned professional	1987
Current tour(s)	PGA Tour (joined 1987) PGA Tour Champions (joined 2016)
Former tour(s)	European Tour (joined 2002)
Professional wins	19
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	5
European Tour	3
Asian Tour	1
Sunshine Tour	2
Web.com Tour	1
Champions Tour	1
Other	8
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 2)
The Masters Tournament	T3: 1993
U.S. Open	T27: 1996
The Open Championship	Won: 1995
PGA Championship	Won: 1991
Achievements and awards
PGA Tour Rookie of the Year	1991
PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year	2004

John Patrick Daly (born April 28, 1966) is an American professional golfer. He plays on the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions. Daly is famous for hitting the golf ball very far. This earned him the nickname "Long John." He is also known for his unique style and powerful swing.

His two biggest wins were the 1991 PGA Championship and the 1995 Open Championship. Daly has won professional golf events in many countries. These include South Africa, Scotland, Germany, and Canada.

Since 1997, Daly was the first PGA Tour player to average over 300 yards per drive. He did this for many years. He was the only player to do so until 2003. Daly led the PGA Tour in driving distance 11 times.

Daly's last PGA Tour win was in 2004. Since 2016, he has played on the PGA Tour Champions circuit. He won the 2017 Insperity Invitational. Daly is the only golfer from Europe or the U.S. to win two major championships but not play in the Ryder Cup.

Outside of golf, Daly has been successful in business. He has his own golf course design company. He also has written and recorded music, releasing two albums.

Early Life and Golf Start

John Daly was born in Carmichael, California, on April 28, 1966. His father, Jim, was a construction worker. His mother, Lou, was a homemaker. His family moved often when he was young. They lived in small towns across the Southern states.

When John was four, his family moved to Dardanelle, Arkansas. He started playing golf the next year. He played at the Bay Ridge Boat and Golf Club. From the beginning, Daly looked up to Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus was a top professional golfer at that time.

When John was ten, his family moved to Locust Grove, Orange County, Virginia. He played golf at the Lake of the Woods Golf Course. At age 13, he won the spring club championship. He beat all the adult male members. The club then changed its rules. They stopped juniors from playing in future open club events.

The Dalys later moved to Zachary, Louisiana. John finished ninth grade and half of tenth grade there. He then went to Helias High School in Jefferson City, Missouri. He was a junior golf member at the Jefferson City Country Club. He played both football and golf. In 1983, his football team had a perfect 10–0 record. He also holds several school kicking records in football.

Daly had his first big golf success in 1983. He won the Missouri State Amateur Championship. The next year, he won the 1984 Arkansas State Amateur Championship. He finished high school in Dardanelle, Arkansas, in 1984. That summer, he became friends with Rick Ross. Ross was a golf teaching professional. He helped Daly with his golf game for several years.

Amateur Golf Career

Daly attended the University of Arkansas from 1984 to 1987. He was on a golf scholarship and part of the golf team. His coaches were Steve Loy and Bill Woodley. Daly had a challenging relationship with both. As an amateur, Daly played in the 1986 U.S. Open. This is one of the four major golf tournaments. He did not make it past the first two rounds.

Professional Golf Career

Daly left college before finishing his degree. He became a professional golfer in the summer of 1987. He won his first pro event soon after. This was the 1987 Missouri Open. From 1987 to 1989, Daly mostly played in smaller events in the U.S. He also had good results on the Southern African Tour. He won the AECI Charity Classic and the Hollard Royal Swazi Sun Classic in 1990.

Ben Hogan Tour Success

Daly earned the right to play on the Ben Hogan Tour in 1990. He won the qualifying tournament early that year. He then won two Sunshine Tour events in 1990. One was in South Africa and one in Swaziland. These wins were encouraging for Daly. He beat more experienced players and played for large crowds.

He then won the 1990 Ben Hogan Utah Classic. He finished the year well. He earned his spot on the PGA Tour for 1991. This was after trying four times.

PGA Tour Highlights

Daly joined the PGA Tour in 1991. He played better and better throughout the year. He then won the PGA Championship in August. This win brought Daly a lot of attention. He was the ninth and final alternate for the Championship. Just days before, Nick Price dropped out. Daly, playing in only his third major, got Price's caddie, Jeff Medlin.

Daly had to drive all night to get there in time. He was almost unknown then. He shot a score of 69 in the first round. He had not even had time to practice on the difficult Crooked Stick Golf Club course. He finished the tournament with a total score of 276. This gave him a three-stroke win over veteran Bruce Lietzke. This amazing win made the new Tour player famous around the world.

Later that season, Daly finished 3rd at the 1991 Tour Championship. He was the first PGA Tour rookie to be invited to the Skins Game. This is a special event with top players. He finished 2nd there. Daly was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for 1991. He was also the first rookie to win a major title since 1976.

His surprising win and powerful swing gained him many fans. Many people who had not liked golf before started following him. Daly became one of the most popular players on Tour. In 1993, he showed his power again. He became the first (and only) player to reach the green of the 630-yard 17th hole at Baltusrol Golf Club in two shots.

Daly had a good season in 1992. He had several top 10 finishes. These included 5th place at The International and 2nd at the Kemper Open. He won the B.C. Open by six strokes later that season. This was his second PGA Tour title.

In 1993, Daly finished 3rd at the Masters Tournament. This was his only top-10 finish in a major outside his two wins. He did not win any PGA Tour events in 1993. However, he won the Alfred Dunhill Cup with Fred Couples and Payne Stewart.

In 1994, Daly won the BellSouth Classic. This was his third PGA Tour title.

In 1995, Daly won The Open Championship in a playoff. He beat Italy's Costantino Rocca at the Old Course, St Andrews. Some golf experts believed the Old Course suited Daly's game well. Daly was a strong contender from the start. He played a great final round. Rocca needed a birdie on the last hole to force a playoff. He sank a 60-foot putt to do it. Daly easily won the playoff. He finished the four playoff holes one under par.

Daly is the only two-time major winner who has never played in the Ryder Cup.

Later Career and Comeback

After winning the 1995 Open Championship, Daly faced challenges in his golf game. He did not win on the European Tour for four years. He also had a nine-year win drought on the PGA Tour. In 1996, he had a top-10 finish at the Kemper Open. His only win in 1996 was at the AT&T Australian Skins Game.

In 2001, Daly won the BMW International Open in Germany. He won by one stroke. This was his first European Tour win in six years. He also had his best PGA Tour season since 1995.

In 2002, Daly was inducted into the Arkansas Golf Hall of Fame. He had two top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour. He also won the Champions Challenge. In 2002 and 2003, Daly was part of the winning PGA Tour team. They competed in the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge.

Daly won the Buick Invitational in 2004. He was named PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year. He won the tournament in a playoff. This was his first PGA Tour win in 189 events. It was also his first win on American soil since 1994. This was a big comeback for Daly. His world golf ranking went from 299th to the Top 50.

In 2005, Daly lost two playoffs in PGA Tour events. He lost to Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods. Fans and golf writers saw the 2005 WGC-American Express Championship as very important. If Daly had won, he would have earned a three-year PGA Tour exemption.

Daly's performance declined in 2006. He played in 21 events but only made the cut 8 times. He had only one top-25 finish.

From 2007, Daly no longer had full exempt status on the PGA Tour. He had to rely on sponsor invitations to play. In December 2014, Daly won the Beko Classic in Turkey. This was his first win in over 10 years. In 2012, Daly finished 18th at the PGA Championship. This was his first top 20 finish in a major since 2005.

PGA Tour Champions

On April 28, 2016, Daly turned 50. This made him eligible to play on the PGA Tour Champions. He debuted at the Insperity Invitational in May. He finished tied for 17th.

On May 7, 2017, Daly won the Insperity Invitational. He shot 14-under par for the tournament. This was his first win in a PGA Tour-affiliated event since 2004. It happened exactly one year after his PGA Tour Champions debut. Daly continues to play regularly on the tour.

John Daly's Golf Swing

Daly has a unique golf swing that he taught himself. It is designed for powerful, long drives. He takes his club back very far. This creates a lot of speed when he swings down. This powerful swing helps him hit the ball far. However, it also means he needs perfect timing. This can sometimes lead to inconsistent play.

Incidents During Golf Tournaments

Daly has had several memorable moments during golf tournaments. These have added to his "Wild Thing" image.

• In 1993, at the Fred Meyer Challenge, Daly hit balls over spectators. The PGA Tour fined him $30,000 for this.
• In 1994, at the NEC World Series of Golf, Daly hit shots too close to the group in front. This led to a brief argument. He was fined $13,000 and banned for the rest of the season.
• At the 1998 Bay Hill Invitational, Daly hit six golf balls into the water on one hole. He finally got his seventh shot over the water. He ended up scoring an 18 on that par-five hole.
• In the 1999 U.S. Open, Daly took a penalty for hitting his ball while it was moving. He scored an 11 on the eighth hole. He said he did this to protest the course setup.
• In the 2000 U.S. Open, he hit three golf balls into the Pacific Ocean on one hole. He scored a 14 on the 18th hole.
• In 2002, at the Australian PGA Championship, Daly threw his putter and ball into a pond. He was fined and had to apologize.
• In 2008, at the Australian Open, he broke a spectator's camera.
• In 2011, at the Australian Open, Daly hit seven golf balls into the water on one hole. He then left the tournament.
• In the 2015 PGA Championship, Daly hit three shots into Lake Michigan on the 7th hole. He then threw his 6-iron into the lake. He scored a 10 on that hole.

Charity Work

After winning the PGA Championship in 1991, Daly gave $30,000 to a family. A man had died during the tournament due to a lightning strike. The money helped pay for the man's two daughters' college education. Daly was just starting his career and was not rich then.

Daly is known for helping many charities. He has given money to his high school. He also supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Daly is a strong supporter of sports programs at the University of Arkansas. He once shaved his famous "mullet" haircut. The money raised from this event went to various charities. He often plays in a celebrity golf event.

Business Activities

Daly works with Loudmouth Golf. This company makes colorful golf clothing. He also has a company that designs golf courses, called JD Designs. One of his designs is Sevillano Links in California. It was named "Best New Golf Course" by Golfweek magazine. Other courses he helped design include:

• Wicked Stick Golf Links, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (now closed)
• Blarney Golf Resort, County Cork, Ireland
• Thundering Waters Golf Club, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
• Murder Rock Golf Club, Branson, Missouri
• The Lion's Den, Dardanelle, Arkansas

In 2010, a video game called John Daly's Prostroke Golf was released. It was for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. In the game, John Daly is your instructor and opponent. You have to beat him in challenges to unlock new courses.

Music Career

In 2007, Daly sang backup vocals in the Kid Rock song, "Half Your Age." In April 2010, Daly released his second music album. It was called I Only Know One Way. He wrote or co-wrote eight songs on the album. One song features Hootie And The Blowfish's lead singer Darius Rucker. He also covered Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door." Daly said his music tells the story of his life. He hopes people can relate to his experiences. His first album, My Life, included songs with Willie Nelson.

Studio Albums

Singles

Other Appearances

Personal Life

Health Updates

In early 2009, Daly had lap-band surgery. This surgery helps limit how much food he can eat. By December 2009, Daly had lost over 100 pounds.

In July 2019, Daly had a serious health scare. He was bitten by a brown recluse spider while in England. He developed a severe infection called sepsis and needed emergency surgery.

In September 2020, Daly shared that he had battled bladder cancer. He had surgery to remove the cancer. Doctors said there was a chance it could return. Daly plans to make healthier choices to reduce this risk.

Gambling Experiences

Daly has spoken openly about his experiences with gambling. He has shared that he lost a lot of money over about 15 years. This included a large amount lost in October 2005. He said he would sometimes bet big amounts on games. He also mentioned that he never bet on golf games.

Family Life

Daly has been married four times and has three children.

• He married Dale Crafton in 1987. They divorced in 1990.
• In 1992, he married Bettye Fulford. They had a daughter, Shynah Hale. They divorced in 1995.
• He married Paulette Dean in 1995. Their daughter, Sierra Lynn, was born in June 1995. They divorced in 1999.
• On July 29, 2001, he married Sherrie Miller. Their son, John Patrick Daly II, was born in July 2003. In 2010, a court awarded custody of their son to Daly.

Political Views

Daly is a Republican. He is a supporter of Donald Trump.

Video Games Featuring John Daly

John Daly has appeared in several golf video games:

• He was one of the first real people to appear in the Everybody's Golf series. He was in Hot Shots Golf 3.
• He also appears in the popular arcade golf game Golden Tee.
• He was featured in the Tiger Woods PGA Tour video game series from 2004 to 2009.
• In 2010, he endorsed and was featured in the game John Daly's ProStroke Golf.

High School and Amateur Wins

• 1979 Spring Club Championship, Lake of the Woods Club, Fredericksburg, Virginia
• 1983 Missouri State HS Team Championship, 1A-3A division, with Helias High School, Jefferson City
• 1983 Missouri State Amateur Championship
• 1984 Arkansas State Amateur Championship

Professional Wins (19)

PGA Tour Wins (5)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Aug 11, 1991	PGA Championship	−12 (69-67-69-71=276)	3 strokes	Bruce Lietzke
2	Sep 27, 1992	B.C. Open	−18 (67-66-67-66=266)	6 strokes	Joel Edwards, Ken Green, Jay Haas, Nolan Henke
3	May 8, 1994	BellSouth Classic	−14 (69-64-69-72=274)	1 stroke	Nolan Henke, Brian Henninger
4	Jul 23, 1995	The Open Championship	−6 (67-71-73-71=282)	Playoff	Costantino Rocca
5	Feb 15, 2004	Buick Invitational	−10 (69-66-68-75=278)	Playoff	Luke Donald, Chris Riley

PGA Tour playoff record (2–2)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	1995	The Open Championship	Costantino Rocca	Won four-hole aggregate playoff; Daly: −1 (4-3-4-4=15), Rocca: +3 (5-4-7-3=19)
2	2004	Buick Invitational	Luke Donald, Chris Riley	Won with birdie on first extra hole
3	2005	Shell Houston Open	Vijay Singh	Lost to par on first extra hole
4	2005	WGC-American Express Championship	Tiger Woods	Lost to par on second extra hole

European Tour Wins (3)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	Aug 11, 1991	PGA Championship	−12 (69-67-69-71=276)	3 strokes	Bruce Lietzke
2	Jul 23, 1995	The Open Championship	−6 (67-71-73-71=282)	Playoff	Costantino Rocca
3	Sep 2, 2001	BMW International Open	−27 (63-64-68-66=261)	1 stroke	Pádraig Harrington

European Tour playoff record (1–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	1995	The Open Championship	Costantino Rocca	Won four-hole aggregate playoff; Daly: −1 (4-3-4-4=15), Rocca: +3 (5-4-7-3=19)
2	2005	WGC-American Express Championship	Tiger Woods	Lost to par on second extra hole

Asian PGA Tour Wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	Oct 12, 2003	Kolon Korea Open1	−6 (73-69-72-68=282)	2 strokes	Thaworn Wiratchant

¹Co-sanctioned by the Korean Tour

Southern Africa Tour Wins (2)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	Feb 3, 1990	AECI Charity Classic	−24 (70-67-62-65=264)	1 stroke	David Feherty
2	Feb 18, 1990	Hollard Royal Swazi Sun Classic	−21 (66-71-64-66=267)	2 strokes	John Bland

Ben Hogan Tour Wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	Sep 16, 1990	Ben Hogan Utah Classic	−13 (65-69-69=203)	1 stroke	R. W. Eaks

Ben Hogan Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponents	Result
1	1990	Ben Hogan Gateway Open	Bruce Fleisher, Ted Tryba	Tryba won with eagle on first extra hole

Other Wins (8)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Aug 22, 1987	Michelob Missouri Open	−12 (68-70-66=204)	4 strokes	Stan Utley
2	Feb 11, 1996	AT&T Australian Skins Game	$104,000	$76,000	Tom Watson
3	Dec 5, 1999	JCPenney Classic (with Laura Davies)	−24 (63-66-67-64=260)	Playoff	Paul Azinger and Pak Se-ri
4	Nov 23, 2003	Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational	−9 (69-68-73-69=279)	1 stroke	Jim Thorpe, Bo Van Pelt
5	Aug 8, 2006	Telus World Skins Game	$210,000	$115,000	Stephen Ames
6	Jun 19, 2007	Telus World Skins Game (2)	$220,000	$95,000	Geoff Ogilvy
7	Dec 6, 2014	Beko Classic	−15 (66-63-72=201)	1 stroke	Robert Coles
8	Dec 19, 2021	PNC Championship (with son John Daly II)	−27 (60-57=117)	2 strokes	Tiger Woods and son Charlie Woods

Other playoff record (1–0)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponents	Result
1	1999	JCPenney Classic (with Laura Davies)	Paul Azinger and Pak Se-ri	Won with birdie on third extra hole

PGA Tour Champions Wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runners-up
1	May 7, 2017	Insperity Invitational	−14 (68-65-69=202)	1 stroke	Tommy Armour III, Kenny Perry

Major Championships

Wins (2)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
1991	PGA Championship	3 shot lead	−12 (69-67-69-71=276)	3 strokes	Bruce Lietzke
1995	The Open Championship	4 shot deficit	−6 (67-71-73-71=282)	Playoff1	Costantino Rocca

¹Defeated Rocca in four-hole playoff; Daly (4-3-4-4=15), Rocca (5-4-7-3=19).

Results Timeline

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

     Win      Top 10      Did not play CUT = missed the half way cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary of Major Results

• Most consecutive cuts made – 7 (1992 Open Championship – 1994 Masters)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (three times)

Results in The Players Championship

     Did not play CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Results in World Golf Championships

     Top 10      Did not play QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied

Results in Senior Major Championships

     Top 10      Did not play "T" indicates a tie for a place
CUT = missed the halfway cut
DQ = disqualified
WD = withdrew
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

U.S. National Team Appearances

• Alfred Dunhill Cup: 1993 (winners), 1998, 2000
• World Cup: 1998
• Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge (representing PGA Tour): 1995, 2001, 2002 (winners), 2003 (winners), 2004, 2005

Images for kids

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  Daly at the 2008 PGA Championship