Athletes - John Daly

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	Athletes - John Daly

John Patrick Daly (born April 28, 1966 in Carmichael, California) is a professional golfer on the PGA TOUR.

Daly is known primarily for his "zero to hero" victory in the 1991 PGA Championship, his driving distance off the tee (earning him the nickname "Long John"), his non-country club appearance and attitude, and his rough-and-tumble personal life. Despite his off-the-course problems, John Daly has remained one of the most popular golfers around; literally and figuratively, "Big John" is a larger-than-life figure in the golfing world.

Biography

Daly's family moved from California to Dardanelle, Arkansas when he was five, and he began playing golf the following year. The family subsequently moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia, then to Jefferson City, Missouri, then back to Dardanelle where John graduated from high school.

Daly attended the University of Arkansas, where he was a member of the golf team. He turned professional in 1987, and won the Ben Hogan Utah Classic in 1990.

He joined the PGA TOUR in 1991 and won the PGA Championship during his first year. This victory gained Daly a significant amount of media attention due to the fact that Daly was the ninth and final alternate for the Championship -- meaning that he was not originally scheduled to compete. He entered the competition only when one of the other players dropped out and none of the other alternates could make it. He parlayed this opportunity into a first round score of 69 -- without the benefit of a practice round. He finished the Championship with scores of 67-69-71, giving him a three-stroke victory over Bruce Lietzke. Daly was subsequently named PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year.

In 1992 he won the B.C. Open and the 1994 BellSouth Classic. He earned exempt status through 2005 in 1995 when he won the British Open; this second major championship showed that this PGA Championship had not been a fluke.

Daly's golf swing is easily recognized, as he sends the club way "past parallel" to the ground on his backswing (see accompanying picture), thereby generating tremendous power. Daly is a consistent challenger for the Driving Distance crown and has won that title a record-setting 11 times as of 2004, 8 of which were consecutive. His lifetime average for distance off the tee is an impressive 309.4 yards, and his single-season personal best is an average of 314.3 yards, which he attained in 2003. Single drives in excess of 350 yards are not uncommon, and Daly can reach very long par 5 holes in two strokes where no one else can. But Daly is more than just a "grip it and rip it" golfer; in particular he is known for having soft hands and a deft touch in his short game around the greens.

Daly's career has been interrupted from time to time by off-course personal incidents involving alcohol, including an incident where he was removed from a British Airways airplane by airport security for harassing a flight attendant while drunk. He has entered into various alcohol addiction programs, including Alcoholics Anonymous and the Betty Ford Clinic, at least three times, and has experienced three divorces since becoming a professional golfer. These incidents resulted in a stretch between 1995 and 2001 without a professional victory. During this stretch Daly was especially known for having spectacular blow-up holes near the end of rounds, such as knocking multiple balls into water or out-of-bounds for a double-digit score, or hitting a ball while it was still moving and then walking off the course. In one tournament Daly was visibly shaking as he tried to play, causing the television announcers to audibly wince at the sight. Most recently, Daly's fourth wife Sherrie pleaded guilty to federal drug charges and was sentenced to a five month prison term.

Over the past several years, Daly has gotten his alcohol problem under control and, after winning a few minor tournaments, broke his long PGA TOUR drought on February 15, 2004 by winning the Buick Invitational. He clinched his victory on the first hole of a three-way playoff by hitting a long, difficult greenside bunker shot to within inches of the hole. Daly went on to have some of his most consistent play ever in 2004 and 2005.

Despite prodigious consumption of cigarettes and Diet Coke, Daly has never conquered his weight problem; he refused to partake in the British Open Champions Dinner because, "You don't get a guy this big into a suit."

Daly recorded an autobiographical album entitled My Life, featuring guest performances by Darius Rucker, Willie Nelson, Johnny Lee, and Daron Norwood.

Daly does not fly to tournament sites and instead travels in a personal recreational vehicle. He is known for his involvement in many charities including several in northwest Arkansas. He has donated money to his high school, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Daly is also an active supporter of the sports programs at the University of Arkansas.

Daly is sponspored by Maxfli Golf(Taylor Made-adidas Golf), Dunlop Golf(Focus Golf Systems), Hooters resturants, Winn Grips, and 84 Lumber.

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Athletes - John Daly

Biography

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