New dawn for the Wild Thing
Open champion Daly’s unruly days are behind him, writes Mike Aitken
The Scotsman, 25 July 1995
THE morning after the night before – he’d eaten two steaks for dinner and a huge bowl of chocolate icecream which played havoc with his digestive system – John Daly, the 124th Open champion, had driving on his mind.
There was the driving he’d done on the golf course at St Andrews with his new Wilson which saw off the challenge of Costantino Rocca in a play-off and there was the driving he used to do in his car at 130mph after downing large quantities of Jack Daniel’s.
Daly, a reformed alcoholic, was a drunk driver who admitted yesterday it was a mircale that he didn’t kill himself or someone else in the days when the demon drink dictated his life.
R&A secretary Michael Bonallack described the new Open champion as “easy-going, likeable and shy”. Daly is also a gambler. He plays slot machines to relax and once won the $100,000 jackpot. His aggressive, all-action style which hinges on risk, even won over the Scots, arguably the most sophisticated golf galleries in the world.
Bonallack reckons Daly’s triumph will be a huge boost for the game, particularly in the US where his popularity knows no bounds.
Daly reckons his appeal lies with his common touch – the fact that fans can identify with him as a man who has faced up to his problems in life. “My success sure isn’t due to my good looks,” he laughed yesterday. “If fans like me it’s because they see I’ve had problems and everyone in life has problems.”
Daly’s difficulties were mostly associated with excessive alcohol. Before he won his previous major, the US PGA in 1991, Daly recalled being stopped by a police officer, who asked: “Mr Daly, have you been drinking a little?” Daly replied, “No officer, I’ve been drinking a lot.”
Daly admitted that the night before the final round of the PGA was a mystery to him because he was so drunk.
“I felt totally different winning a major sober,” he said. “Winning the Open not only helps me, but it also may help other alcoholics to get through the programme. I don’t know if I’m a role model for anyone, but maybe I can be an inspiration.
“I know I have a lot of fans and if some of them have the same problems then maybe I can give them encouragement– perhaps it will help a lot of others to see me do it sober.
“Really, I shouldn’t even be here when you think of all the problems I went through. My brother James should also be dead. I did a lot of drunk driving in my time and know how fortunate I am just to be here. It took a lot of help from a lot of people to get me through the problem.”
Fuzzy Zoeller, a fellow-american Tour player, was a great friend. “He refuses to get in a car with me now I’m sober. He feels I was a better driver when I drank. I tried to call Fuzzy last night, but he was out playing golf and I spoke to his four-year-old son, Miles.”
Daly recalled the dark times when he drove at 140mph after a drinking session. Then there was the incident six years ago in Arkansas when he touched 80mph in a 30mph limit. His car skidded 160 feet, rolled over three times and he and his brother James were thrown out of the vehicle. If their seat belts had been fastened, the pair would have been killed.
Daly last had a drink four days before Christmas in 1992. Having cleaned up his act, he now gets telephone calls from presidents rather than the FBI.
On Sunday night, president Bill Clinton phoned and reported that while his game was improving he would still expect the Open champion to give him a few shots.
Asked if golf had helped him to overcome alcoholism, Daly replied, “It’s an everyday battle. Alcohol is a problem every day. Golf probably makes me want to drink more because of all the stress. Whther I play good or bad, it’s always a very stressful sport.
“Golf is a lot different from, say, American football where you play for five months a year, all expenses paid. In golf, there’s not so much time off – unless, like me, you get suspended,” he smiled.
Daly was 25 when he won the PGA at Crooked Stick in 1991 and admits he found fame difficult to handle because of his immaturity. He feels he’s grown up a bit since then and will handle this experience better.
“On the golf course I’ve become more patient and that comes with maturity. I’m learning more about how to play the majors – and how to become more patient. The improvement is unbelievable – I’m just getting better and better.”
Daly rated his driver and putter as the clubs which helped him win his second major, though Bonallack wondered if the new champion was not selling himself a little short.
“The truth is John can play all the shots,” observed the former Amateur champion. “He hits the ball right to left and fashioned low shots underneath the wind. People in Britain may not be as aware of Daly’s background as they are in America, but his win will be a huge boost for the game there.”
Daly is one of golf’s quicker players but even the new champiom was powerless to speed up play in what must have been the slowest Open in history.
Bonallack agreed that the pace of play was too measured and instead of going round in the recommended four hours and 20 minutes, a round required five and a half hours. The reasons for the delays were the west wind, the double fairways on the Old Course and the fact that at a few par 4s it was possible to drive the green.
One can only hope that young golfers take a leaf out of Daly’s book and play at a brisk pace. As to any other influence the Wild Thing might have, Bonallack added: “I just hope that youngsters don’t dislocate their backs copying his swing.”