John “The Wild Thing” Daly Returns!
The demise of The "Wild Thing"
If anyone ever deserved his nickname, it is John Daly. The Wild Thing has filled the headlines since his rookie year on the PGA Tour in 1991. Daly was given a place in the USPGA Championship that year after Nick Price withdrew at the last moment. With Price’s caddie on the bag but without the luxury of a practice round, Daly stunned everybody with his incredible length off the tee to triumph by three strokes. He was the first golfer in 15 years to win a major in his rookie year. Daly didn’t stop there however. He added a second major championship in 1995 at St. Andrews, winning the Open Championship by 4 shots from Costantino Rocca.
Unfortunately though, these highlights seem to pale into comparison to his off the course (and even on-the-course) incidents. He has been divorced four times and has had at least three stints in rehab in his personal battle against alcoholism and has admittedly lost fortunes through gambling. During the 1998 Great Vancouver Open, Daly was visibly shaking as he tried to play, causing the television announcers to audibly wince at the sight. Between then and now, his career has been littered with incidents involving camera men, tour officials and ultimately, disqualifications. In March 2008, Daly’s swing coach Butch Harmon quit, saying that “the most important thing in [Daly's] life is getting drunk”.
The final insult came a few weeks ago when Daly confirmed he has been suspended from the US PGA Tour for at least 6 months following a drunken incident outside a Hooters restaurant. As a result, we in Europe will be seeing a lot more of him. However, what can we expect? Will we see him strutting the fairways alongside adoring fans after nailing another 350 yard drive? Unfortunately, the evidence would suggest otherwise.
John Daly is a man crying out for attention and it pains me to say he has become more of a circus act at this stage. The time has come to forget about the “Wild Thing”. He doesnt need professional golf right now and it doesnt need him. He needs help and he needs it away from the public eye. Otherwise, the talent and entertainer that is John Daly will surely be lost forever and that would be the biggest tragedy!
John Daly Tees Off a Beer Can at Pro-Am
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