Golfer John Daly was a bigger 'player' than Tiger Woods

12 December,2009 06:56 AM IST |   |  A Correspondent

The current shock talk of the golf world -- Tiger Woods -- makes one rewind to the former bad boy of golf, John Daly.


The current shock talk of the golf worldu00a0-- Tiger Woodsu00a0-- makes one rewind to the former bad boy of golf, John Daly. While Daly may not have scored on the same scale in the women department, the golfing stalwart certainly caused eyebrows to disappear all the way inside one's forehead with his golfapades on and off the
fairways.

Woods has received support from an expected source. The BBC reports that Daly, the former enfant terrible of golf has said Tiger needs the support of other golfers: "He is a great athlete, he will sort it out."


UP IN SMOKE DOWN UNDER: John Daly smokes a cigarette during
the 2009 Australian Open in Sydney.


If there is anybody qualified to comment on the Woods-ian surreal nightmare unfolding it is Daly himself. For years, the golfer had given gossip correspondents a chance to earn their Daly (pun intended) bread with some soul-golfer shattering accounts of personal and professional misconduct.u00a0u00a0

Hitting the bottle
When he should have been hitting golf balls, Daly was hitting the bottle with a vengeance. According to reports, he claimed that he drank a fifth of Jack Daniels every day during the year he was 23. Other intoxicating sights include him visibly shaking while playing, numerous tantrums on the course, harassing attendants on a flightu00a0- all alcohol fuelled misdemeanours that earned him various suspensions. Daly went through various alcohol de-addiction programs.u00a0u00a0u00a0


Going the hole hog: A streaker runs past John Daly as he celebrates
his 1995 British Open triumph with wife Paulette Dean on the 18th hole.
PICS/GETTY IMAGES

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The 'gallery' as spectators following a golf tourney are called, has had plenty of Daly entertainment with the golfer quitting mid-way through a tourney, walking off the course and hitting multiple balls into the water. We have not even come to Daly's widely publicised battle with extra poundage.

Fat man in a suit
He has had gastric surgery and not attended events because according to him, "You cannot put a fat boy in a suit." If the surgery raises visions about football's bad boy, Diego Maradona, Daly has even said that most Professional Golfers Association (PGA) golfers used cocaine, a claim that led to an uproar. He has spoken out about chronic gambling problems too. Daly put down all the gory details in an autobiography.

Daly's third wife Paulette Dean, who he married in 1992 and divorced in 1999. They had a daughter, Sierra Lynn

Daly's fourth wife Sherrie, who he said attacked him with a steak knife

The new woman in John Daly's lifeu00a0--u00a0 Anna Cladakis. She has helped him get back on track


News reports state that a game has been launched following the Woods scandal, where gamers can click to help Tiger escape from his wife trying to hit him with a golf club.

They have to escape trees and fire hydrants in the game. If games were big during the time of Daly, game makers would have been out with a special Daly version. Daly once claimed that his his fourth wife, Sherrie attacked him with a steak knife.

Chill, Tiger
Phew! With all those Daly transgressions, Tiger's tales seem a little like a teddy bear's picnic. Maybe not. For, if we go by murmurings, more women are ready to jump out of Woods' cupboard.
Woods, who seems to have disappeared could turn to Daly for help and advise.

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Sports John Daly Golfer controversies Tiger Woods