John Daly has revealed how he hilariously beat Tiger Woods after a heavy night of drinking in 1994 and sinking a Jack Daniels and Coke on the tee box before they started their round.
Over the course of a remarkable career, Daly has developed a reputation as one of the most entertaining players in professional golf.
He has become a cult hero on the circuit because of his informal attitude to the game, wild outfits and insane on-course diet that consists of cigarettes, Coke and M&Ms.
Aged 29, the big hitter defeated Costantino Rocca in a play-off to win the 1995 Open Championship. He also won the PGA Championship in 1991.
But some still believe Daly never fulfilled his potential and, speaking in an interview with Tucker Carlson, he divulged a story about beating Tiger Woods that may explain why.
Daly recalled how at one tournament in 1994 at the Sherwood Country Club in California, himself and a group of friends were drinking heavily after their round when they spotted Woods enter the bar.
Woods ignored their offer to join them twice, choosing to go and practice on the driving range and work out in the gym instead.
But, the next day, Daly would go on to play better than Woods – despite having a whiskey and coke on the tee box that morning.
Asked whether he beat him when he was hungover, Daly replied: ‘I was still drunk actually. That’s a funny story.
‘We tee off. My caddie was drunk with us (the night before). There’s only ever two times I’ve drank on a golf course.
‘One, I had a few Coors Lights when we had a long wait on the back nine at Riviera. I downed four or five. I was playing like s***.
‘But the funny thing about Tiger was when I got to the tee I had my caddy bring me a Jack (Daniels) and Coke.
‘Long story short I shoot like 65 and Tiger shot like 71. He just shook his head the whole time.
‘It was only that one drink. I think the statute of limitations for fining me is up now.’
Last year, one golf reporter tracked what Daly was eating as he consumed a wild on-course diet at the PGA Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Daly smoked 21 cigarettes, ate six packs of peanut M&Ms and drank 12 cokes in one round.
His diet garnered much attention given that, unlike his fellow competitors, Daly was driving throughout the course with a smile on his face as the PGA allows him to use a cart under the American with Disabilities Act for his osteoarthritis.
The attention on him persisted as he then took a trip to Hooters, one of his sponsors, to enjoy some wings before ending the night with beers and slot machines at a Tulsa casino.
‘Rich Beam calls me “camel” cos I never drink water. I drink diet coke, I like to have ice which to me is water so I get plenty of water in my diet coke,’ Daly said in an interview with Graham Bensinger in 2016.
‘I don’t drink water. I hate water. I cannot stand to drink water. I used to drink 12-20 diet cokes a day, I’d go to McDonald’s three or four times a day. To me they always had the best fountain drink.’
The American then revealed to Bensinger that he had recently started chugging whole milk.
‘I drink about five gallons a week of whole milk. I like mixing Hershey’s in my vitamin D milk,’ he said, before being quizzed on his love for McDonald’s and Burger King.
‘Burger King, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, I love them. I used to be able to eat two Big Macs, two or three cheeseburgers, chocolate shake and regular coke back then, sitting pretty easily.
‘My 17th birthday, I was a kicker for the football team. I got 17 tacos and I was still hungry and got a couple burritos after that.
‘I don’t eat a lot of fast food any more. Burger King has the best burgers, McDonald’s has the best fries. I’ll go to Burger King, get the BK and I’ll just take the meat out and eat it. I have a tough time with bread. Sometimes I can eat bread, sometimes I can’t.’
Bensinger then said he had heard Daly is physically sick when he eats vegetables.
‘Pretty much, yeah’ Daly said. ‘I don’t eat beans spinach, broccoli, any of that stuff. When I was young my dad would force it down me and I would throw it up.’
