What Tiger Woods said when John Daly once invited him on a night out with him

Add as preferred source on Google

When golf fans discuss the greatest characters the game has ever seen, it is probably not too long before John Daly gets a mention.

Summing up the career John Daly has had is nearly impossible. He has won two major titles, but arguably had the ability to win several more. However, quite remarkably, Daly would only win three other events on the PGA Tour over the course of his career.

Daly has missed the cut or withdrawn at his last 18 major appearances. In fact, he has made the cut at just 33 of the 80 majors he has played in. Nevertheless, that record is highly unlikely to do much to damage the legacy the 58-year-old has left on the game.

Daly has had his problems away from the course, but he was a game-changer in the 1990s for how far he would hit the ball with the driver. And there is surely no question at all that Daly would have inspired all kinds of golfers to the game with how he approached life on the course.

How Tiger Woods reacted to John Daly’s offer of a night out

It certainly seems that his peers could not believe just how good Daly could be at times. Speaking on the Behind Golf podcast, legendary cricketer Sir Ian Botham shared a story about how he had once amazed Tiger Woods on the range.

“Lot of talent. We were in Dubai and I went there and John was practicing. Well, practicing, he had his Diet Coke and his cigarette in the other hand and he’s hitting wedges off the ground, 30, 40 yards. He’d hit 10 with his top hand, then he’d do 10 with his left hand, and the furthest away would’ve probably been four feet from 35 yards. He’s just a talent,” he said.

“And I remember Tiger Woods walked past, and John said to him, ‘Tiger, do you fancy a night out?’ or words to that effect. And he said, ‘well, I would do, if I was as talented as you, I would be going for a drink’, and that’s what Tiger Woods said to John Daly.”

Daly’s piece of Ryder Cup history

It is almost more surprising to think of what Daly has not done in his career. There is no question that he should have won more majors than the 1991 PGA Championship and The Open in 1995, and it is a shame that he only won three further events on the PGA Tour.

It is also remarkable that he did not feature in either the Presidents Cup or the Ryder Cup during his career. There are arguably few players who would relish that kind of stage more than Daly, given how patriotic he is. In fact, Daly is the only eligible two-time major champion to never feature in a Ryder Cup.

Obviously, Woods’ comments highlight the potential Daly had but maybe did not realise in tournaments. But it says everything about Daly’s impact on the game that there are few players who are beloved by fans to quite the same level as Wild Thing.