Jan 22

Golf fans help John Daly kill himself

What you just read could be the headline in the newspaper one day if John Daly doesn’t turn his life around. Last weekend Daly was up to his old tricks again, withdrawing before he had a chance to miss the cut fair and square. Turns out he was allegedly drunker than a monkey the night before and we are left to surmise that is the reason for the WD, not the mysterious “rib injury” that he reported. I know if I had a rib injury that was threatening my livelihood, I’d be getting treatment for it instead of getting loaded. The situation goes beyond this latest low-class withdrawal which, once again, will disappoint his legion of fans who have bought tickets just to watch him play. These are the fans he purports to love so much. Gee thanks, John. It’s even beyond the huge waste of talent that we are witnessing. Tiger Woods himself will tell you that Daly has as much talent as anyone he has ever seen.

Of a much larger importance is that Daly is slowly killing himself and fans of golf are giving him a big assist. It’s called enabling. If you are one of Daly’s fans, consider me your intervention counselor. You need to stop making excuses for his behavior. Daly has learned that as long as he tells you how much you mean to him and that he’ll do anything for you, you will look the other way when he acts like the immature child he has become. And because you won’t hold him to any standard of behavior, it’s killing him. Combine that excessive alcohol consumption with rapid weight gain and it’s a recipe for disaster. Have you seen him lately? He’s massive.

The most scary thing for Daly is that his income is drying up. That is the last thing of value that a drunk protects the most. Families and friends be damned but money supports the drinking and lifestyle habit, which is as important to the drunk as breathing. Sponsors are running away from him now. The sponsors exemptions into PGA Tour events are starting to dry up too, because they are tired of Daly’s antics. Who wants to invite him when he may not even play the minimum 2 rounds before the cut? He’s only made 18 of his last 49 cuts, and of those 31 missed cuts, he has either been disqualified or withdrawn an astonishing 12 times. Besides, there are plenty of guys long-knocking it past Daly now. We’ve even got a new Southern-fried personality on Tour in Boo Weekley. The difference is, he’s one of the better players on Tour.

Do the man a favor. Stop bailing out Daly. And he just might decide to save himself.

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13 comments

§ Ron Mon® said on : 01/22/08 @ 13:09
Ummm, no he won't. Signed, sealed, delivered. He'll go the way of Belushi, Farley, and Hendrix. Just took a little longer.
§ Shanks® said on : 01/22/08 @ 14:14
I don't fancy his chances either, but I hope we're wrong.
§ Steve Wozeniak PGA said on : 01/22/08 @ 14:23
His next T.V. spot should be on Intervention get it done, then come back and kick some fanny on Tour.

Steve Wozeniak PGA
www.stevewozeniak.com
§ Oui Oui Oui said on : 01/22/08 @ 15:19
Geez, Daly is so well-loved apparently because he represent the 'everday men.'

The way he conducte his life affairs, if he represents the everyday men in America, my condolences to the everyday women in America.
§ ben said on : 01/22/08 @ 17:13
what a rubbish artical - if you bothered to watch any of the golf youd of seen daly playing most shots with a one handed follow through, not to mention getting medical attention throughout Weds, Thurs and fridays rounds. Get your facts correct instead of jumping on the bandwagon.
§ Saturday Golfer said on : 01/22/08 @ 22:01
I read Daly's book and was astonished at how one person can continualy make repititive bad choices in their life. You think at some point in time you would learn and make an adjustment.

Hopefully he can get himself straightened out because I like the guy and he seem to have a big heart.
§ mark said on : 01/23/08 @ 17:20
Way to go John your a good example for upcoming golfer's shouldn't be. Arkanas should be proud.
§ Shanks® said on : 01/25/08 @ 10:32
Ben - this was on the Golf channel webiste today:

John Daly was waiting to see if he would get a sponsor's exemption to the FBR Open next week outside Phoenix, and he got his answer Wednesday. The tournament gave its last spot to 20-year-old Jason Day.

Daly had his pick of exemptions last year, the first time he was not fully exempt since his 1991 victory in the PGA Championship, and he withdrew six times while dealing with a rib and shoulder injury.

He withdrew last week after three rounds of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, citing an injury. The Los Angeles Times reported that Daly was a regular at tournament parties during the Hope, and eyewitnesses told the newspaper that he was helped out of one after-party by an unidentified man.

This is Shanks again:
So, you tell me ....
§ paddyogallagher@yahoo.com said on : 01/25/08 @ 15:08
Here we go again with the Daly bashing.Wah Wah Wah. Oh he drinks way to much, he's killing himself, Wahh, he's a disgrace Waaahh. He going to die. What a bunch of crap. The guy was very evidently in a lot of pain on Friday, use your brain. He's a two time major winner. If he wants to go out and get bombed, what the hell, he has the right. I now proclaim this column "Whiners Central" No not John Daly wine.
§ Shanks® said on : 01/25/08 @ 15:14
Okay, PaddyO. I agree that he has the right. We all do. Hell, I have the right to go play in traffic too. But how about if YOU call it. How do YOU describe a person's demolition of his gift, livelihood & health to engage in unhealthy behavior?

Me, personally, I'm not gonna contribute to his demise.
§ Ernie Gremillion said on : 01/27/08 @ 23:13
When will golf fans quit holding John Daly on a pedastal when he is probably the worse role model golf has ever seen. He keeps getting more chances than he deserves. He is the Dennis Rodman of golf but golf, unlike the NBA is supposed to be a gentleman's game and reject those dysfunctional players who keep asking for more chances. I understand that even his coach, Butch Harmon is fed up with him. Who else but a total looser would write a book bragging that he lost $60 million at the tables in Vegas.
§ Wendy (UK) said on : 02/23/08 @ 14:26
"A list of the troubles he made for himself and for others would take up too much space... it includes wife-beating, addiction, reformation, forgiveness, failure and free fall. Perhaps his greatest addiction was to forgiveness, for he was always loved, by his public and by the many he betrayed. But he never betrayed from malice: always by means of his innocent belief that this time he would really make a go of it, get things right, beat the book and romp home a winner at a million to one.
There are many people who prove themselves inadequate to the demands of coping with the world, who really cannot take care of themselves, who really never do get the hang of grown-up life. Each of these has his own tragedy, leaves his own trail of victims. But few of this type started with so much talent and gave so much joy."

Sound familiar? It refers to Paul Gasgoigne, a remarkable English footballer, who was sectioned this week under the Mental Health Act. Don't let it happen to Daly. Don't buy him a drink. Don't pat him on the back.
§ Shanks® said on : 02/25/08 @ 07:47
Daly has learned how to con his fans and they, in turn, have learned how to be conned. In the addiction field they call that co-dependency. In old school terms, it was called "it takes two to tango."

Let this sick man suffer the consequences of his actions and, maybe, there is a chance he'll see the light.