You Gotta Love Him
Hello. Just heard the latest news flash regarding John Daly. Apparently he's gambled away between $50-60 million over the years. Add this to alcoholism and several divorces, and it's safe to say his social life is more active than the average person's.
Before I go further, let me just say I'm a big John Daly fan. I have been since I first saw him at his big breakout tournament, the 1991 PGA Championship. Believe it or not, we have the same swing! All I can say is we had the same teacher (ourselves) and I'm older, so if anything, he copied me. For some reason though I don't hit it anywhere near as far as him. Obviously I have room for improvement.
Another thing that we do similarly is play golf quickly. We both can't understand why a game a single-digit aged child can understand requires so many adults to take surveys, and study like they're going to a final exam. Here's a ball. There's a hole. Put ball in hole. What's the problem?
Where we aren't similar, though, is off the course. While I don't condone what Daly has done, let's remember a few things:
1) John Daly's sudden rise to fame is even more of a shock than someone winning a lottery, because he's now in a fishbowl being reported on. Daly made almost as big a splash as Tiger, because up to that point no one had ever seen anything like him. I believe he's an important part of modern golf history.
As studies of lottery winners have shown, many of them end up being even worse off than before because they don't know how to manage their money.
2) Would you gamble thousands of dollars if you made millions? While the amount John has blown is high, it's about the same as me blowing $100,000.
3) Would you start/continue drinking if everyone was watching your every move? I'd be tempted, and I haven't drank in 14+ years.
John Daly also has a lot of good points. He gives thousands to charities. He's everyone's friend. He's someone average people can relate too. He's very approachable and friendly. And he's won as many majors as Retief Goosen and Greg Norman, and more than Davis Love, Mike Weir, Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard. As I saw at the 2000 Bay Hill Invitational, he's very calm when his ball is in a hedge. In short, he's such a good guy you gotta love him. Anyone one who thinks up my favourite song title of all time ("All My Exes are Wearing Rolexes") can't be all bad.
Believe it or not, a guy at my former club (let's call him Joe) was a lot like Daly off the course. Always had a drink in one hand and a smoke in the other. Always able to get away with anything and be forgiven. Never show up for appointments, yet it didn't lower your opinion of him. In short, someone you loved in spite of himself. A free spirit.
Here's to you John. All the best with coping with life in the future.
Regards,
Steve
Before I go further, let me just say I'm a big John Daly fan. I have been since I first saw him at his big breakout tournament, the 1991 PGA Championship. Believe it or not, we have the same swing! All I can say is we had the same teacher (ourselves) and I'm older, so if anything, he copied me. For some reason though I don't hit it anywhere near as far as him. Obviously I have room for improvement.
Another thing that we do similarly is play golf quickly. We both can't understand why a game a single-digit aged child can understand requires so many adults to take surveys, and study like they're going to a final exam. Here's a ball. There's a hole. Put ball in hole. What's the problem?
Where we aren't similar, though, is off the course. While I don't condone what Daly has done, let's remember a few things:
1) John Daly's sudden rise to fame is even more of a shock than someone winning a lottery, because he's now in a fishbowl being reported on. Daly made almost as big a splash as Tiger, because up to that point no one had ever seen anything like him. I believe he's an important part of modern golf history.
As studies of lottery winners have shown, many of them end up being even worse off than before because they don't know how to manage their money.
2) Would you gamble thousands of dollars if you made millions? While the amount John has blown is high, it's about the same as me blowing $100,000.
3) Would you start/continue drinking if everyone was watching your every move? I'd be tempted, and I haven't drank in 14+ years.
John Daly also has a lot of good points. He gives thousands to charities. He's everyone's friend. He's someone average people can relate too. He's very approachable and friendly. And he's won as many majors as Retief Goosen and Greg Norman, and more than Davis Love, Mike Weir, Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard. As I saw at the 2000 Bay Hill Invitational, he's very calm when his ball is in a hedge. In short, he's such a good guy you gotta love him. Anyone one who thinks up my favourite song title of all time ("All My Exes are Wearing Rolexes") can't be all bad.
Believe it or not, a guy at my former club (let's call him Joe) was a lot like Daly off the course. Always had a drink in one hand and a smoke in the other. Always able to get away with anything and be forgiven. Never show up for appointments, yet it didn't lower your opinion of him. In short, someone you loved in spite of himself. A free spirit.
Here's to you John. All the best with coping with life in the future.
Regards,
Steve
posted by Irrelevant at 5:01 PM
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