Why, John Daly, why?

[Smarf]

I just saw an announcement that he was given a sponsor's exemption to the upcoming Wyndham tournament.

[enduro]

There's no point in piling on a guy when he obviously has some problems right now. He apparently has some kind of self destructive tendencies going on and he's probably really fighting something.

He probably shouldn't be golfing right now. But piling on the guy when no one has a clue what's wrong isn't right.

He likely needs help with something.

[BASHERBAKER69]

The official line is that he pulled out of the pga champs with a back injury- this should account for his despondency even after the eagle when he threw his ball in to the water. JD should spend a year on the european tour and get away from the pga tour circus act.

[lobsterzilla]

sigh i hope jD gets shit together, i really like him :x hahah and i for one dont mind the pants. i thought the purple pasely joints were pretty fantastic

[Fat Slice]

I don't care what is wrong with him physically (ever read Ben Hogan's struggles?) - there's no 'back injury' that makes you putt with such disdain where it looks like you are TRYING to miss. Daly has some psychological issues, we know this, but they usually created bad off-course behavior that ended up messing up his game incidentally. Now his demons are just coming out straight on the course. So long as he has so little control over his emotions and/or state of mind, he should not be playing competitive golf. All that said, I don't this he's a bad guy, just weak.

My suggest to him would be to get his body issues settled so that he's eating decent meals (I read his blog - junk food), getting proper exercise, keeping off the stimulants/depressants, and getting decent sleep. His twitter obsession is not helping. He needs to focus on his physical well-being.

The whole time he should be *quietly* and *seriously* working on his golf. He should employ a good psychologist and not just a sports-psychologist. He needs to reconnect with his love of the game and get out of the state of mind where he feels like he's doing his job by being golf's sideshow freak. The pants, blogging, etc., are all distractions and are ready-made excuses why he doesn't try his hardest.

Once he is physcially sound, well-rested and practiced, he should come back SLOWLY and not ram tour dates and travel in like he was 25. He'll never reach the highest heights at this point, but...he can finish his career with some fireworks and dignity and lay the groundwork for a good life on the Champions tour.

He has that as an available future. He could more easily go the Steve Duplantis route. I wish him the best of luck, but I've stopped being a fan.

[lobsterzilla]

really good interview on golf channel just now i felt. remorseful

[Smarf]

Wow, I just saw a news interview with him where he was joined on the course by the reporter. He was playing with his shirt off and no shoes, I think I'm blind.

He posted a message on his facebook stating he was leaving it:

I AM ANNOUNCING THAT I AM SHUTTING DOWN MY FACEBOOK--CAN'T TAKE THESE NEGATIVE COMMENTS WHEN I'M TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH MY TRUE FANS. SORRY, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT


Probably based on comments like this one:

Declan
way to go my arse. Pull your ^*&^ together man or get off the block......and ps, i know a guy who $&*&*% your wife.

[lobsterzilla]

golf is the gentleman's sport . ..

[iacas]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe he gets an automatic spot in this event as a former PGA winner, so I'm not sure he is taking away a spot from someone else who would qualify through some other route. Your argument may apply more to a regular tour event, where he takes one of a limited number of sponsor exemptions and quits after one round.

Had he opted not to play, someone who wanted to be there would have gotten in. That's "taking a spot" in anyone's book.

[enduro]

Had he opted not to play, someone who wanted to be there would have gotten in. That's "taking a spot" in anyone's book.

He's taking a spot obviously but he's taking a spot he is entitled to and entitled to use however he wants.

I empathize with your distaste and disappointment in Daly's recent actions, but I really think it's deeper than this guy just being a selfish jerk. I empathize with troubled people as well. He's obviously a confused man whose twisted up from some things. Perhaps he would do better to take some time off and try and get his head together so he can begin to enjoy life more before he doesn't have any life left. I just feel it's mean to pile on this guy right now since he's obviously messed up and probably has been for some time. But it isn't always so obvious to the person who is in this position. I'm sure he doesn't feel good about himself at all.

[Trav]

Had he opted not to play, someone who wanted to be there would have gotten in. That's "taking a spot" in anyone's book.

Not unless there a maximum number of spots in the event. If he didn't play as former champ, another person would not have gotten in as a former champ.

chill. Edit: Having invited correction but not having seen anything substantive posted here, I took a moment to try to look up and post the actual eligibility criteria for benefit of anyone interested in learning what the provisions are. Apparently the field is limited to 156 players. Also, it appears the additional players would have been taken from the designated list of alternates, which I don't have, although the PGA also reserves the right to designate other players not shown on the alternate list, which I assume they use for flexibility in emergency situations such as when a vacancy occurs too late to get the designated alternates in. http://images.pgalinks.com/vmc/press...pFactSheet.pdf From this, it looks like another player could have been invited had Daly not played, although it's not exactly certain, nor is it clear precisely who that person would have been, depending on when he withdrew (e.g., if he withdrew Thursday morning, were any designated alternates milling around in the area waiting to play, as opposed to him withdrawing a week beforehand in time for the alternate to make arrangements). FYI, JB Holmes also withdrew (today, I think).

[mad max]

Wow 6 pages of post in one day about someone that isn't in contention and is not named Tiger. I think the PGA and the sponsors like John Daly he, brings fan interest to the game. If he was winning a tournament going into sunday I bet it would be one of the most watched final rounds in recent memory.

He draws fans that is the purpose of a sponsors exemption to make the tournament extra special. John Daly has done more to make the PGA popular than anyone except Tiger, if ______ ______ missed some short puts and than withdrew with an injury would any one care?

[iacas]

From this, it looks like another player could have been invited had Daly not played, although it's not exactly certain...

I'm certain another player would have filled the spot.

Daly made it in as a ninth alternate. Kind of rude of him not to allow the same to someone else.

[Trav]

Daly made it in as a ninth alternate. Kind of rude of him not to allow the same to someone else.

Why did he not make it as a former PGA champ (1991)?

[iammpspeer]

"John Daly withdrew from PGA Championship. But he WILL be in Sellersburg, Ind., this weekend for Fuzzy Zoeller's Wolf Challenge."

This is a Tweet from a Sports Reporter here in Louisville, Ky.

So much for a bad back eh?

[enduro]

Why did he not make it as a former PGA champ (1991)?

That's the year he was referencing. He was a ninth alt that year he won it all.

[iacas]

That's the year he was referencing. He was a ninth alt that year he won it all.

What he said.

[cougar978]

"John Daly withdrew from PGA Championship. But he WILL be in Sellersburg, Ind., this weekend for Fuzzy Zoeller's Wolf Challenge."

What a jackoff - I've heard some stories about him not paying child support and such things, I didn't believe them before, but someone who would do something like this, I wouldn't put anything past them.

I actually got his 'My Life in the Rough' book before a cross-country flight on a business trip a few years back - when you go back and re-read things, there are several inconsitencies in his stories. I don't have the book with me, but if anyone has the time to read through it, you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm over him after this stunt. I think Finchem's a blow-hard for the most part, but I don't think many people would argue another suspension's in order if it turns out he faked an injury to avoid just walking off the course.