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via Getty

via Getty

John Daly is a fun golfer loved by his fans. But his personality and skills with a golf club are not the only things that keep him in the headlines. Apart from the controversies in his personal and professional lives, his bold statements attracted the limelight too.

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The man with a colorful wardrobe was the highlight of every news back in 1999. Let’s take a look back at Daly’s statement that made every golf fan’s ears ring.

Why did John Daly criticize a major championship?

In 1999, John Daly played at the U.S. Open, where his actions forced the hand of the authorities. As a result, Daly lost his cool and made an unexpected statement about the championship, despite being a two-time winner at the major.

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During the 1999 U.S. Open, Daly’s fans thought he would win in the same dominant fashion he won his previous two majors. Instead, he made a statement and said, “I don’t consider the U.S. Open a major anymore.” Now the question was, what made him say something like this about a prestigious tournament?

He made 77 in the second round, followed by 81 and 83 in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. Daly was struggling to make a hole in the slope. In his second attempt, he fell short to make a hole and hit the ball again while it was still rotating. Subsequently, he received a two-shot penalty, which made the USGA authorities take action. 

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According to the championship committee chairperson Trey Holland, Daly was warned that he will be asked to leave the golf course immediately if he continued to play with the same attitude and disrespect for the game.

Did Daly play the next US Open?

The PGA tour championship winner did not like the treatment he received. He was upset by the chairperson’s statement because Daly broke the 33-7 rules. Trey said that they would have asked Daly to leave the course, and if he refused, they would have allowed him to play but not considered his scores. Due to these events, he refused to play the US Open in 2000 and said he wouldn’t go to Pebble Beach for a major championship.

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Watch this story- John Daly Once Made a Fan Pay the Price for Evoking Massive Outrage Down Under

What are your thoughts on Daly’s statement? Let us know in the comment section.