John Daly is a pro golfer from the U.S. who plays on the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions. His biggest achievements on the course include his incredible ‘zero-to-hero’ win at the 1991 PGA Championship and his playoff win against Costantino Rocca at the 1995 Open Championship.
Early Life
John Patrick Daly was born on April 28, 1966, in Carmichael, California. He grew up in a middle-class environment and moved around a lot in the southern states as a child.
He started playing golf when his family settled in Arkansas. With Jack Nicklaus as his inspiration, Daly began to take his golf career seriously and won several championships as a young teen.
John Daly’s Career
In 1987, John Daly became a professional golfer and scored his first victory at the Missouri Open that same year. In 1990, he won the Ben Hogan Utah Classic.
By 1991, he had already secured his first PGA Championship, which created a huge stir in the golf community because he was viewed as a significant underdog.
He had a great season in 1992, and in 1993, he came in third at the Masters Tournament. Unfortunately, in 1994, Daly faced suspension for leaving the course during a round, which led him to enter rehab for alcohol abuse.
John Daly won the Open Championship in 1995, but then he went through a challenging five-year period. His drinking was starting to affect his game on the golf course.
In 2001, Daly won the BMW International Open, which marked the start of his comeback. He continued to win over the next two years, and in 2004, he made a significant return by winning the Buick Invitational. Sadly, after a disappointing 2005, Daly struggled to regain his form for the next nine years.
Due to his non-exempt status, John had to lean on sponsorships and invites to certain events. This is even though he has earned millions in his golf career.
In 2016, John Daly became eligible to join the PGA Tour Champions. He began winning events for the first time in years. Daly kept competing in the Champions Tour.
But after an event in October 2022, he had to undergo serious knee surgery and rehab, but he promised to make a comeback to the game.
Personal Life
John Daly‘s first wife was Dale Crafton. They were married in 1987, but they divorced just three years later. In 1992, Daly married Bettye Fulford.
They had one child together during their relationship. That same year, Daly was charged with third-degree assault after he threw his wife against a wall.
Bettye chose not to take legal action, and the exact circumstances of the incident have never been disclosed. Ultimately, Daly and Fulford divorced in 1995.
John Daly got married to Paulette Dean, and they had a kid in 1995. Four years later, they finalized their divorce. In 2001, John married his fourth wife, Sherrie Miller.
Two years later, they welcomed a new baby. In 2007, both of them had a run-in at a restaurant in Tennessee. John claims that Miller came at him with a steak knife.
The authorities arrived at their home, but Sherrie had already run away with their young son. After they located Daly’s wife, she confessed to federal drug charges and received a five-month prison term.
John Daly was ultimately granted custody of the child, and Sherrie was returned to jail for violating John’s visitation rights and other crimes.
Net Worth
John Daly is an American golfer with a net worth of $2 million. His net worth could definitely be higher, but he’s admitted to losing tens of millions over the years, largely because of a bad gambling habit and multiple divorces.
