This transcript just in from the PR Dept at the Golf Channel, which interviewed John Daly for Golf Central
On his Disqualification from the Arny Invy:
Peter was here, my caddie. We left at 8:30 to go to the golf course to play the Pro-Am. I was right almost at Gate A when (Tournament director) Mark Russell said I missed my tee time. I said, ‘No I was supposed to go off at 9:47’. He said, ‘No, you were at 8:40.’ I said, ‘That is kind of weird because we called the tournament yesterday when I was out here at Celebration practicing and that was the time the lady gave us.’
The weird thing was why Peter didn’t think we should call back was I thought I was going to go early because that is what I requested. Robert [Gamez] said the first time isn’t going to be until 8 anyway because it is going to get light at 7:30 with the time change. So we didn’t even think about calling back. So that’s cool. No big deal.
It is just unfortunate stuff like this happens. I feel bad for Arnold because he gave me the spot. Had a great hug from him in the Monday pro-am on number seven. I love him to death. First time in 17 or 18 years that I have ever missed a tee-time. I feel responsible for it but I just feel bad this had to happen with all of the other crap going on in my life. I would never miss Arnold Palmer’s Pro-Am if he wanted me to play. I would never miss that tee time. Unfortunately I just got a bad time.
I’ve always played pretty good here. I think Arnold inspires me and makes me play a little better. I don’t know. I’ve never won here. I’ve had some great finishes and some good rounds. I feel bad for all this to happen. I’ve got to take the responsibility. I should have checked my time again.
On Splitting with Butch Harmon:
The weird thing was why Peter didn’t think we should call back was I thought I was going to go early because that is what I requested. Robert [Gamez] said the first time isn’t going to be until 8 anyway because it is going to get light at 7:30 with the time change. So we didn’t even think about calling back. So that’s cool. No big deal.
It is just unfortunate stuff like this happens. I feel bad for Arnold because he gave me the spot. Had a great hug from him in the Monday pro-am on number seven. I love him to death. First time in 17 or 18 years that I have ever missed a tee-time. I feel responsible for it but I just feel bad this had to happen with all of the other crap going on in my life. I would never miss Arnold Palmer’s Pro-Am if he wanted me to play. I would never miss that tee time. Unfortunately I just got a bad time.
I’ve always played pretty good here. I think Arnold inspires me and makes me play a little better. I don’t know. I’ve never won here. I’ve had some great finishes and some good rounds. I feel bad for all this to happen. I’ve got to take the responsibility. I should have checked my time again.
On Splitting with Butch Harmon:
On Events during PODS Championship:
Peter has had a neck problem for about the last two months. Jimmy has popped him back in. His neck was killing him. It got cold. And I said ‘Peter, let’s get Coach to caddy the last six or seven holes because darkness was going to come. I mean, it wasn’t like, you know, Peter was hurt. So, no problem, it was great for the tournament. Everybody loved it.
Same thing Saturday at Tampa. Gerald, the tournament director, says ‘Do you want to go to the Owl’s Nest?’ I said yeah I am already going because Hooters wants me to be there. Sign hats. Talking to the fans and having a good time. This thing about flipping a camera guy off. Well, we may have done it in fun. Half the time I take pictures with guys they want me to flip the picture off because that is what they want. We were having a good time. Nobody was loud. I thought it was good for the tournament. Hooters loved it. I sat there and ate, had a few beers with Peter. Wasn’t drunk or anything. I was there for four hours signing things. It was a good thing. But now it seems like this guy who wrote this article about me flipping off the camera guy, I guess he just doesn’t like me. But it wasn’t anything mean or anything. It was fun. That is just the way my life is going right now. You think you are doing somebody a good thing and somebody just wants to bring it all down. If that is how they want to live, then so be it. I can’t live that way.
4 comments:
Self-righteous golf writers continue to attack John Daly. They are failing to realize that he is so popular because he has problems the average Joe can relate to. Guys like Daly add spice to the Gumbo. (although his only appearances lately are sponsor's exemptions). Ask the average sports fan to name three golfers and they inevitably say Woods, Daly, and Mickelson. They can't tell the rest of the Scott Verplanks from the Jeff Quinneys. Neither can I. What is the harm in having a beer with your fans? Many recreational golfers (the same guys who watch the Golf Channel and read Golf Digest)drink alcohol on the course. The type of sanctimony coming from the golf media may appeal to a tour pro that would rather spend $1000 on a bottle of wine than bet the same amount on a practice round, but it does not appeal to this reader.
I would agree with you up to a point about the reason for Daly's enduring popularity -- he's a likeable lunch bucket guy in a sport with a snooty rep.
He used to be impossible not to root for. But I have gradually gone from being a huge Daly fan -- a borderline apologist for Daly -- to being tired of his act, his excesses and his excuses. Nobody has been given more chances than Daly. If it were just about anybody else behaving this way, the PGA Tour would have bounced them long ago. Daly gets sponsors exemptions, then we WDs or walks off the course. It's never his fault. The only thing bigger than his talent are his demons. Believe me, I'd rather see him shape up than ship out, but I don't see it happening.
You mention that recreational golfers drink during a round. News flash: It's recreational for them, not their job. What would the Sixers do if the team drank beer in the locker room during half time? What would your boss do if you tossed back a few at your job?
What I would say about John Daly is this; the PGA like no other sports has a player like Daly play half the tournament, generate huge $ for TV and then misses the cut and doesn't get paid! And the PGA pockets all the $. Could you imagine another sport doing that? Could you imagine a tennis player making it that far and not getting paid? Daly may be the most ripped off athlete of all sports.
It is obvious that tournament directors around the country are willing to sell out to profit off of Daly. He has become nothing more than a circus act, and unfortunately part of the freak show. The sad part is that every tournament he gets into robs someone of an opportunity to truly compete. His next exemption should be into rehab.
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