When you think of John Daly, you probably picture a blonde mullet flowing under a ball cap, ridiculously loud pants, and a huge, powerful golf swing with an impossibly long backswing. Daly isn't just a golfer, he's a phenomenon, a larger-than-life character whose career is filled with moments that capture both superhuman talent and all-too-human fragility. This article revisits some of the most unforgettable moments from Long John on the golf course and pulls out coaching lessons we can all learn from them.
This is where the legend was born. In August 1991, John Daly wasn't just an unknown, he was the ninth alternate for the PGA Championship. He only got into the field at the very last minute when another player dropped out. With no time for a practice round, he hired local caddie Jeff “Squeaky” Medlin, took a look at the course, and decided on a simple strategy: "grip it and rip it."
And rip it he did. Throughout the week, Daly captivated the galleries at Crooked Stick with his seemingly reckless power. He was flying massive drives over trees and doglegs that other pros simply couldn’t. On the monstrous 512-yard Par 4 18th hole, where others were hitting driver, then a long iron, Daly was hitting driver-pitching wedge. This wasn't just power, it was a golfing display no one had ever seen before. He took the lead on Friday and never looked back, winning his first major championship by three strokes.
What can we Average Joes take from this heroic performance? It’s not about swinging out of your shoes trying to crush every drive. The real lesson from Daly’s 1991 win is about playing with freedom. He was a nobody who stumbled into a major championship, so he had zero expectations. He wasn't playing with the weight of sponsors or history on his shoulders. He simply trusted his game and played his style.
As a golfer and a coach, I see so many amateurs who get paralyzed by fear and technical thoughts:
Soon, they're so worried about *how* to swing they forget to just *swing*. Daly didn't have time to overthink. He saw his target, trusted his unique swing, and let it go. Your takeaway is to find that sense of freedom on the course. Do your thinking on the range, but when you're playing, pick your target and commit to the shot with confidence. Play the game that you brought with you that day.
If anyone thought the 1991 PGA was a fluke, Daly silenced them at the "Home of Golf." The 1995 Open Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews was a masterclass in his ability to combine raw power with an incredible touch around the greens. He entered the final round in a four-way tie for the lead, a battle that would come down to the wire between him and Italian Costantino Rocca.
Holding a one-stroke lead on the 72nd hole, Daly could only watch from the clubhouse as Rocca faced a must-make, 65-foot birdie putt from the "Valley of Sin," the deep swale guarding the front of the 18th green. In one of the most astonishing moments in golf history, Rocca drained the putt, forcing a four-hole playoff. The roar from the crowd was deafening. Most players would have crumpled mentally after losing a major in such a dramatic fashion. Not Daly. He simply shook his head, walked to the first tee, and dominated the playoff, winning by four shots.
Rocca's putt was a gut punch. It’s the equivalent of your opponent draining a 40-footer on you to extend a match. Seeing that happen could easily have thrown Daly off his game, filling him with a sense of "it wasn't meant to be."
This is where every golfer can learn a valuable lesson in resilience. Golf is a game of managing mistakes and bad breaks. You will hit perfect drives that find a divot. You will have putts that horseshoe out of the hole. The key isn't to prevent these things from happening - it's how you react when they do. Instead of letting poor luck a or dramatic holed putt from an opponent derail his focus, Daly reset. He understood that the only thing he could control was his own game in the upcoming playoff holes. Your challenge is to do the same. After a bad hole or a bad break, take a deep breath, leave the past behind you, and focus entirely on the shot standing in front of you now.
Not all of Daly's memorable moments are glorious wins. In fact, some of his most famous outings are unforgettable for the sheer chaos. The master of this was a single hole during the 1998 Bay Hill Invitational on the par-5 6th, which features a massive lake that demands a 300-yard carry.
For most of the week, Daly had played the hole safely, laying up. But in the final round, goaded by the massive Sunday crowd, he decided to go for it. His first attempt found the water. So did his second. And his third, fourth, fifth, and sixth. He wasn't trying to lay up, he kept pulling out his 3-wood and trying to clear the lake in an ever-growing spectacle of stubbornness. Finally, after putting six balls in the water, his seventh attempt found the rocks. He took a penalty drop, hit the green with his next shot, and two-putted for a mind-boggling score of 18 on the hole. It was a classic Daly moment: pure spectacle, pure stubbornness, and a textbook case of what not to do.
This is arguably the most important lesson any golfer can take from Daly's career. Your ego can be your worst enemy on the golf course. Daly refused to accept that he couldn't make the shot, and his scorecard paid the ultimate price. We’ve all been there: trying to hit a miracle shot out of the trees instead of punching out sideways, or trying to carry a bunker we know we can’t clear 9 out of 10 times.
The best golfers are skilled not just at hitting shots but at managing their game. They understand risk and reward. They know which pins to attack and which to avoid. Hitting a 250-yard shot over water might feel heroic, but if it takes you out of the hole, was it worth it? A "boring" layup often leaves you with an easy wedge and a great look at birdie or par. Learning to recognize the smart play over the heroic one is one of the fastest ways to lower your scores. It means swallowing your pride and playing for your best possible score on every hole, not for one spectacular shot.
In 2005, Tiger Woods was at the absolute peak of his dominance. Beating him on a Sunday "in the red" was considered nearly impossible. During the 2005 WGC-American Express Championship, John Daly proved he still had the game to compete with anyone, taking Prime Tiger to a thrilling sudden-death playoff.
Daly, playing with guts and fire, matched Tiger shot-for-shot down the stretch. On the second playoff hole, after Tiger had narrowly missed his birdie putt, Daly was left with a simple 3-foot par putt to extend the playoff. It was a putt he would make 999 times out of 1,000. But under the immense pressure, standing toe-to-toe with the world's best player, he yanked it. The look of utter disbelief and disappointment on his face was crushing and relatable to every golfer who has ever felt the nerves kick in over a short putt.
This moment is memorable for its heartbreak, but also for its profound lesson: pressure is human. It doesn't matter if you're John Daly going against Tiger Woods for millions of dollars, or an amateur standing over a 3-footer to break 90 for the first time. The nerves, the sweaty palms, and the racing thoughts are the same.
Daly's miss reminds us that accepting pressure - and practicing for it - is essential. Don't just mindlessly whack balls on the putting green. Practice with consequence. Play putting games with friends where something is on the line (even if it’s just buying the post-round drink). Put three balls a few feet from the hole and don't let yourself leave until you've holed all three in a row. By simulating pressure in practice, you'll be better equipped to handle it when it arrives on the course.
John Daly's career is a tapestry of wild swings, shocking wins, and unbelievable blow-ups. He gave us moments of sheer brilliance and moments of stunning self-destruction, but through it all, he remained one of golf's most authentic and beloved figures. As golfers, we can learn from both his spectacular successes and his very public failures.
We all face our own "Bay Hill moments," those tough calls where a little expert advice could save us from a big number. Instead of just guessing and hoping for the best, you can get instant, smart strategy for any on-course situation. That’s precisely why Caddie AI was developed, giving you on-demand advice to build a sound game plan. You can analyze the hole from the tee, get club recommendations, and even snap a photo of a tricky lie to see your best options, helping you make smarter decisions and swing with complete confidence.
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
