John Daly Through the Years

The John Daly photos in this gallery go back to 1991 and the event that made Daly a household name (at least in households that included golfers). If you start with the first image and click through, you'll see various high points throughout Daly's career, plus some of the many low points that Daly has been through.

John Daly has always been known for one thing above all else on the PGA Tour: power.

At the start of PGA Championship week in 1991, Daly was the eighth alternate. By the end of the week, he was PGA champion.

Daly's bad habits began showing up early in his career. The photographer noted Daly's so-called "relaxed approach" to the Open Championship in 1992.

Jack Nicklaus, among many others, was wowed by the length of John Daly's backswing and his powerful coil early in his career.

After a couple years of struggles following his 1991 PGA Championship victory, and some run-ins with the PGA Tour over bad behavior, Daly re-emerged at the 1995 British Open, winning the tournament in a playoff over Constantino Rocca.

It was a shock when, later in 1995, Daly - famous for his mullet - went in the complete opposite direction for a new hairstyle.

John Daly and the LPGA's Laura Davies - both large-and-in-charge big bombers - partnered one another a few times in the old JC Penney Classic tournament, that paired PGA Tour and LPGA Tour golfers. They even won it the last time it was played, in 1999.

No matter what the state of his game is - or the state of his off-course life - John Daly has always remained a fan favorite.

Daly made the trip Down Under for the 2002 Australian PGA Championship, but things didn't go very well. In the shot above, he was angered after his drive hit an official's cart and kicked into a water hazard. Later, after a generally miserable day, Daly tossed his putter and ball into a greenside lake at No. 18, then left without signing his scorecard to draw a disqualification.

Daly travels from tournament to tournament in a luxury motorhome. This is a view of the interior of the motorhome in 2002.

His most recent victory on the PGA Tour was at the 2004 Buick Invitational, where Daly won a 3-way playoff for the title.

Daly goes way back with the members of the band Hootie and the Blowfish, and counts many musicians among his friends. Kid Rock is another good friend. And Daly has even released an album of music, My Life, that included guest appearances by members of Hootie, plus Willie Nelson, among others.

Despite his frequent travails, Daly remains a popular player among his peers. Tiger Woods is a friend, and Daly played in a couple "Battle at the Bridges."

While Daly struggled on the U.S. PGA Tour much of the time from 2006 forward, he remained a big draw and could command large appearance fees to play overseas.

In 2007, Daly showed up at the St. Jude Championship in Memphis with deep scratches on his face. Daly claimed his wife attacked him with a steak knife, while Daly's wife counterclaimed that she was defending herself against an alleged sexual assault by Daly. After a couple weeks of soap opera, Daly and his wife reconciled.

Daly received on-course treatment during the third round of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, and wasn't around to play the weekend. After his departure, reports surfaced that Daly had spent his evenings during the tournament drinking and carousing.

Daly's behavior at the 2008 Pods Championship - where he whiled away his time during weather delays in the Hooters corporate tent, used Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden as caddie for part of his first round, and posted scores of 77 and 80 - was cited by instructor Butch Harmon when Harmon dumped Daly as a client.

During several years at The Masters, when John Daly hasn't made the field for the tournament, Daly has driven his RV to Augusta, Ga., and set up shop along Washington Road. Selling on tables set up next to the RV, Daly hawks his book, clothing, caps, photos and other wares.

Above, Daly signs his autograph on merchandise while his girlfriend Anna Cladakis accepts money from a customer during the 2010 Masters.

In 2009, Daly began a partnership with the makers of very loud golf apparel, Loudmouth Golf. Roughly around the same time he began dating Anna Cladakis. The two later got engaged, but are not (as of the time of this writing) married.
 

In 2016 Daly turned 50 and joined the Champions Tour - still loud, still smoking, still drawing crowds.