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John Daly is a PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions professional golfer from the United States.

Daly is best known for his driving distance off the tee, which earned him the nickname “Long John,” his non-country club appearance and attitude, his exceptionally long backswing, his inconsistent play, and his personal life.

His two greatest on-course achievements are his “zero-to-hero” victory in the 1991 PGA Championship and his 1995 Open Championship playoff victory over Costantino Rocca.

Daly has won accredited pro events in South Africa, Swaziland, Scotland, Germany, South Korea, Turkey, and Canada, in addition to his victories on American soil.

Daly became the first PGA Tour player to average more than 300 yards per drive over a full season in 1997, according to official performance statistics kept since 1980. From 1999 to 2008, he did it every year, and he was the only player to do so until 2003.

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John Daly Early Life and Golf Career

The renowned golfer was born on April 28, 1966, in Carmichael, California. His father, Jim Daly, is a construction worker for industrial plants, and his mother, Lou Daly, is a housewife.

During Daly’s formative years, the Daly family, who were solidly middle-class, moved frequently, living in small towns across the southern states. His father frequently worked night shifts and had to travel long distances between work and home.

At a time when John was just in his fourth year on earth, he moved from California to Dardanelle, Arkansas, with his father, mother, older sister, and older brother Jamie. At the young age of 11, John began his golf career as he started playing golf at the Bay Ridge Boat and Golf Club.

Daly admired Jack Nicklaus, the dominant professional player at the time, from the beginning of his golf career.

His family relocated to Locust Grove, Orange County, Virginia, when he was ten years old. John played golf at Locust Grove’s Lake of the Woods Golf Course, where he won the spring club championship at the age of 13.

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He defeated all of the male members, and the club quickly changed its rules to prohibit juniors from competing in future open club competitions.

Daly’s first significant golf success came in 1983, when he won the Missouri State Amateur Championship, followed by the 1984 Arkansas State Amateur Championship.

Daly finished his final three months of high school at Dardanelle High School in the spring of 1984. That summer, Daly became friends with Rick Ross, golf teaching professional at the Bay Ridge club, and Ross assisted him with his golf game for the next several years.

John Daly Education

Daly attended the University of Arkansas on a golf scholarship from 1984 to 1987 and was a member of the golf team. Steve Loy and Bill Woodley coached his golf team.

Daly’s drinking problems and infrequent class attendance caused him to have tumultuous relationships with both.

Daly qualified as an amateur for the 1986 U.S. Open, one of the four majors of male professional golf, but missed the 36-hole cut with scores of 88 and 76.

John Daly Charity

Daly donated $30,000 to the family of a man who died during the 1991 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club due to a lightning strike.

The funds were used by the man’s family to cover college expenses for his two daughters. Daly was just starting out in golf and wasn’t particularly wealthy at the time.

Daly is well-known for his support of numerous charities, including several in northwest Arkansas. He has made charitable contributions to his high school, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

About John Daly’s First Wife, Dale Crafton

Dale Crafton is the first of John’s four wives. She was a well-known model from a wealthy Arkansas family. Their marriage didn’t last as they had to divorced due to their differences that were ‘absolutely’ irreconcilable.

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