History of John Daly (golfer) in Timeline

John Daly is an American professional golfer celebrated for his prodigious driving distance and unconventional persona. He gained fame with his unexpected 1991 PGA Championship victory and further solidified his reputation by winning the 1995 Open Championship in a playoff. Despite his talent, Daly is also known for the inconsistency of his play and his turbulent personal life. His 'zero-to-hero' story and powerful swing have made him a popular figure in the world of golf.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1927: Ryder Cup Began

Since the Ryder Cup began in 1927, John Daly is the only man from either Europe or the United States to win two major golf championships but not be selected for the Ryder Cup.

April 28, 1966: John Daly Born

On April 28, 1966, John Patrick Daly was born. He would become an American professional golfer known for his driving distance, non-country-club persona, long backswing, and inconsistent play.

1976: First rookie to win a major title

John Daly was the first rookie to win a major title since Jerry Pate won the U.S. Open in 1976.

1983: Missouri State Amateur Championship Win

In 1983, John Daly achieved his first significant golf success by winning the Missouri State Amateur Championship.

1983: High School Accomplishments

In 1983, John Daly's Helias football team achieved a 10-0 record, with Daly handling punting and place-kicking duties. In golf, Daly became a Missouri state team HS champion with Helias and set several Helias school kicking records in football.

1984: Attended University of Arkansas

In 1984, John Daly started attending the University of Arkansas on a golf scholarship and became a member of the golf team.

1984: Arkansas State Amateur Championship Win

In 1984, John Daly won the Arkansas State Amateur Championship, continuing his success in amateur golf.

1986: Qualified for the U.S. Open

In 1986, while still an amateur, Daly qualified for the U.S. Open, one of the four major professional golf tournaments, but missed the 36-hole cut.

1987: Marriage to Dale Crafton

In 1987, John Daly married Dale Crafton, a hand model from a wealthy family in Arkansas. Daly was trying to make it to the PGA Tour to support them both, but he was unhappy living in her hometown.

1987: Turned professional and won Missouri Open

In the summer of 1987, John Daly turned professional after leaving college, and shortly afterward, he secured his first professional victory at the Missouri Open.

1987: Attended University of Arkansas until 1987

John Daly attended the University of Arkansas from 1984 until 1987 on a golf scholarship.

1989: Played minor events

From 1987 to 1989, Daly mainly participated in minor events around the U.S., and had some encouraging success during the 1989–90 season on the Southern African Tour.

1990: Divorce from Dale Crafton

In 1990, John Daly divorced Dale Crafton due to irreconcilable differences.

1990: Earned Ben Hogan Tour Privileges

In 1990, John Daly earned full playing privileges on the Ben Hogan Tour by winning the qualifying tournament early that year. He also secured two Sunshine Tour events early in 1990.

1990: Won Ben Hogan Utah Classic

In 1990, John Daly won the Ben Hogan Utah Classic.

1991: Earned PGA Tour Privileges

In 1990, John Daly finished T-12 at the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, earning 1991 PGA Tour privileges on his fourth attempt.

1991: PGA Championship Victory

In 1991, John Daly achieved a "zero-to-hero" victory in the PGA Championship. This was one of his two greatest on-course accomplishments.

1991: Joined PGA Tour and won PGA Championship

In 1991, John Daly joined the PGA Tour and, as the ninth alternate, won the PGA Championship, gaining significant media attention. He finished 3rd place at the 1991 Tour Championship. He was subsequently named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for 1991.

1991: Led PGA Tour in driving distance

In 1991, John Daly led the PGA Tour in driving distance.

December 1992: Assault Charge

In December 1992, John Daly was charged with third-degree assault for allegedly throwing his second wife, Bettye Fulford, into a wall at their home near Denver. Bettye did not pursue the matter, and Daly denied the allegations in his autobiography.

1992: Won the B.C. Open

In 1992, John Daly won the B.C. Open by six strokes, marking his second PGA Tour title after struggling as the defending champion at the 1992 PGA Championship.

1993: Won Alfred Dunhill Cup

In 1993, John Daly won the Alfred Dunhill Cup with Fred Couples and Payne Stewart. This was his least successful year since joining the PGA Tour.

1993: Suspended by the PGA Tour

In late 1993, John Daly was suspended by the PGA Tour for behavior including walking off the course mid-round during the 1993 late-season Kapalua International, an incident at the Kemper Open where he threw his scorecard, and an incident at the Southern Open where he quit the course without telling his partners.

1994: Davis Love III took his spot

In 1994, Davis Love III led the PGA Tour in driving distance, interrupting Daly's streak.

1994: Won BellSouth Classic

In 1994, after being suspended and entering alcohol rehab, John Daly returned to the Tour to win the BellSouth Classic, his third PGA Tour title and claimed to be his first sober win.

June 1, 1995: Birth of Daughter

On June 1, 1995, John Daly and his third wife, Paulette Dean, had a daughter.

1995: Won The Open Championship

After winning the 1995 Open Championship, John Daly would continue with his golf game and drinking habits, causing him to suffer a four-year win drought on the European Tour and a nine-year win drought on the PGA Tour.

1995: Open Championship Victory

In 1995, John Daly secured a playoff victory over Costantino Rocca in the Open Championship, marking another significant achievement in his career.

1995: Best PGA Tour Season Since 1995

In 2001, John Daly had his best PGA Tour season since 1995, where his best result was finishing 4th at the Bell Canadian Open.

1996: Won AT&T Australian Skins Game

In 1996, John Daly's only win was at the AT&T Australian Skins Game, which was neither a PGA or European Tour event.

1997: First PGA Tour player to average 300+ yards per drive

In 1997, according to official performance statistics, Daly became the first PGA Tour player to average over 300 yards per drive over a full season.

1997: Struggles and Withdrawal from U.S. Open

The 1997 season was one of John Daly's worst on the PGA Tour. Daly withdrew from the U.S. Open after a first-round 77 due to his physical conditioning and Delirium tremens. It is reported that at this time Daly was attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

1998: Recorded High Score at Bay Hill Invitational

In 1998, John Daly recorded one of the highest scores on a single hole in PGA Tour golf history, shooting an 18 on the sixth hole at the Bay Hill Invitational. Daly finished the 1998 season with two top-10 finishes including finishing T-16 at the Player's Championship with a final round 69, his best finish in the tournament. He also withdrew from the Sprint International and the Disney Classic and was disqualified from the FedEx St. Jude Classic.

1999: Averaged 300+ yards per drive

In 1999, Daly continued to average more than 300 yards per drive over a full season on the PGA Tour.

1999: Divorce from Paulette Dean

In 1999, John Daly and his third wife, Paulette Dean, divorced.

1999: Won the JCPenney Classic

In 1999, John Daly won the JCPenney Classic, which was neither a PGA or European Tour event. Daly also said he would never play in the U.S. Open again, although he would later apologize.

1999: Gambling Losses and Financial Struggles

In 1999, it was reported that John Daly lost $51 million from gambling in the mid-1990s. As a result, he had to sell his Mercedes and his house in California. Daly also struggled to pay alimony, child support, and other expenses.

2000: Horrific Season and U.S. Open Withdrawal

In 2000, John Daly had a horrific season on the PGA Tour, with only one top-25 finish at the Honda Classic. He also withdrew from the U.S. Open after shooting an opening round 83.

July 29, 2001: Marriage to Sherrie Miller

On July 29, 2001, John Daly married Sherrie Miller.

2001: Won BMW International Open

In 2001, John Daly won the BMW International Open by one stroke over Pádraig Harrington, with a personal best score of 27 under par for four rounds. This was the first time Daly had won a European Tour event in six years. He would also have his best PGA Tour season since 1995, where his best result was finishing 4th at the Bell Canadian Open.

2002: Led PGA Tour in driving distance until 2002

From 1991 to 2002, with the exception of 1994, Daly led the PGA Tour in driving distance 11 times.

July 23, 2003: Birth of Son

On July 23, 2003, John Daly and his wife, Sherrie Miller, had a son.

2003: Only player to average 300+ yards per drive until 2003

Until 2003, Daly was the only player on the PGA Tour to average more than 300 yards per drive over a full season.

2004: Last PGA Tour victory

In 2004, Daly achieved his last PGA Tour victory in San Diego, earning him a two-year playing exemption.

2004: Appearance in Tiger Woods PGA Tour

In 2004, John Daly appeared in the Tiger Woods PGA Tour video game series.

October 2005: Gambling Losses after WGC-American Express

In October 2005, John Daly lost $1.5 million, most of it on a $5,000 Las Vegas slot machine at the Wynn Casino, after winning half that amount at the WGC-American Express tournament.

2005: Libel Lawsuit Against Florida Times-Union

In 2005, John Daly sued the Florida Times-Union for libel after a columnist claimed he "failed the scoundrel sniff test."

2006: Career began to falter

After 2006, Daly's golf career began to falter, with challenges in making cuts and staying on the PGA Tour.

2006: Autobiography Reveals Gambling Problem

In 2006, Daly revealed in his autobiography that he had lost between $50 and $60 million over a 15-year period due to his gambling problem.

June 8, 2007: Fight with Sherrie Miller

On June 8, 2007, John Daly and his wife, Sherrie Miller, had a fight at a restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee. Daly claimed Sherrie later attacked him with a steak knife and showed up to his second round with cuts and scrapes. Sherrie fled the scene with their son, and authorities were contacted.

2007: Injury at Honda Classic

In 2007, John Daly sustained an injury at the Honda Classic.

2008: Averaged 300+ yards per drive until 2008

From 1999 until 2008, Daly averaged more than 300 yards per drive every year on the PGA Tour.

2008: Lawsuit Against Hippo Golf

In 2008, John Daly sued Hippo Golf for using his name on a golf club without his permission. The judge ruled in favor of Daly, but denied the motion for Hippo Golf to pay Daly any damages.

2009: Final Appearance in Tiger Woods PGA Tour

In 2009, John Daly made his final appearance in the Tiger Woods PGA Tour video game series.

2009: Libel Suit Dismissed

In 2009, a judge threw out John Daly's libel case against the Florida Times-Union, stating that Daly had failed to prove that the statements were untrue. Daly was also ordered to pay the newspaper over $300,000 in legal fees.

December 17, 2010: Custody Awarded to Daly

On December 17, 2010, in Memphis, Circuit Court Judge Donna Fields awarded custody of John Daly's seven-year-old son to him and jailed Sherrie for interfering with Daly's court-ordered visitation rights and other failures to abide by the court's orders in their divorce proceeding.

2010: Partnership with Oxygen Games for Prostroke Golf

In 2010, John Daly partnered with publisher Oxygen Games for John Daly's Prostroke Golf for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. In the game, John Daly serves as both an instructor and an opponent across twelve real-world courses.

2010: Lawsuit Against Charity and PGA Tour

In 2010, John Daly sued a children's charity and the PGA Tour for $100 million due to an injury he sustained at the 2007 Honda Classic.

2015: Litigation Ongoing

As of 2015, the litigation related to John Daly's lawsuit against a children's charity and the PGA Tour was still ongoing.

2016: Competed on the PGA Tour Champions circuit

Since 2016, Daly has been competing on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.

2017: Insperity Invitational win

In 2017, Daly won the Insperity Invitational on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.

2020: Non-Chronological Results

In 2020, results were not in chronological order.

2022: Advocacy for Cannabis Legalization

In 2022, John Daly advocated for the legalization of cannabis in Arkansas, endorsing a ballot measure that he said would create "millions in new funding for our police, ... thousands of good jobs, [and] revenue for our state".