John Daly’s Promise to Now-Deceased Parents of Tiger Woods Throws Fresh Light on Relationship Between the Golfers
Run 4 miles after getting up in the morning, go to the gym, hit balls for 2-3 hours, go to play, come back and work on the short game, run another 4 more miles, and then play basketball or, Tennis- roughly that’s how the daily routine goes for Tiger Woods. Indeed, very much like a 15-time major winner. On the other hand, there is this guy who would “hit balls for maybe 20 minutes, putt a little bit, smoke 4-5 cigarettes, drink three diet cokes, and then go to the first tee.” In fact, some days he won’t even go to the range! We bet, when you read this, you can not think of anyone other than John Daly, the 2-time major winner. But do we adore Daly just for winning those two majors?
Of course not. There is a reason why Daly wears the nickname ‘Wild Thing’. And really, didn’t you ever love those loud trousers, cigarettes, and that outrageously big swing lighting up the game of golf? Now please, don’t sit down to think how many Majors Daly could have won if he had the work ethic of Tiger. That is up for debate, but we can only say that then John Daly would not have been John Daly. After all, not every golfer has a plaque next to John Lennon at one of the world’s most famous nightclubs! As goes the saying, opposites attract. So do Woods and Daly. And the awe of each other’s talent started on the very first time they met each other.
It was two years before Daly won the 1991 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick. At the National Insurance Youth Golf Classic at Texarkana Country Club, when Woods, 13, was grouped with a 23-year-old Daly. Texarkana Gazette reported that after David Orgin’s travel plans were squashed, Daly was called in as a last-minute replacement. At just 13, Woods was much younger than most of the field, which also had future stars like David Duval and Justin Leonard. Not only Tiger, Daly also met Woods and his parents Earl and Kultida Woods for the first time that day. Surprised with Tiger’s talent, Daly made a promise to them. In the latest YouTube episode of the “Like the Farmer” podcast, Long John shared that heartwarming moment.
