John Daly (golfer)
A golfing tornado who smashed convention with colossal drives, a blue-collar spirit, and two unforgettable, against-all-odds major victories.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American professional golfer·Birthday: April 28·Generation X
Biography
John Daly exploded onto the golf scene not with a whisper, but with a sonic boom. In 1991, he was the ninth alternate for the PGA Championship, driving through the night to make his tee time with no practice round. He then proceeded to overpower the field, winning the title and capturing the public's imagination with his 'grip-it-and-rip-it' philosophy and everyman persona. Daly represented a rebellion against golf's country-club stuffiness, with his loud pants, chain-smoking, and affinity for diet soda. His 1995 Open Championship win at St. Andrews cemented his legacy as a force of nature capable of conquering the game's most hallowed ground. A life of personal turbulence and dramatic on-course swings only deepened his connection with fans who saw in him a raw, unfiltered talent battling his demons in the spotlight.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
John was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When John Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
John's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 1991 PGA Championship as the ninth alternate, having almost not gotten into the tournament, in one of golf's greatest Cinderella stories.
- Captured the 1995 Open Championship at St. Andrews, outlasting Costantino Rocca in a playoff.
- Noted for being one of the longest drivers in golf history, routinely leading the PGA Tour in driving distance.
- His autobiography, 'My Life In and Out of the Rough,' was a New York Times bestseller.
Did You Know?
His signature beverage on the course was originally Diet Coke, but he later had a sponsorship deal with a beer company.
Daly is an accomplished country music singer and has released several albums, collaborating with stars like Willie Nelson.
He lost over $50 million in gambling over a period of years, as detailed in his autobiography.
He often used a 3-wood or driver for extremely short approach shots, a tactic unheard of for other professionals.
“I'm not here to be a role model. I'm here to play golf and have fun.”
