‘He’s His Own Worst Enemy’: John Daly Was Once Given a Harsh Reality Check by His Deeply Concerned Mentor

The 90s was the decade of John Daly. One of the hardest hitters of his time, he won the 1991 PGA Championship, and the 1995 Open Championship. However, with good also comes the bad. During the 90s, Daly suffered some major downfalls on his personal, as well as professional front. Something that left his mentor, Fuzzy Zoeller, profusely worried.

On the personal front, Daly underwent trips to alcohol rehab, along with three divorces. However, on the professional front, Daly went through some unpleasing results while competing on the tour. Concerned about the fall of his mentee, Zoeller not only took the charge to protect Daly on public platforms but also took the charge of providing a reality check to him.

Fuzzy Zoeller gives John Daly a reality check

Young age friendships often lead to the strongest of bonds. Similar was the case with Daly and Zoeller. The bond between the two dates back to the rookie days of John Daly. Something, that is evident in most of Daly’s past stories. Walking down memory lane, back in 1999, conversing with a media house about Daly, Zoeller started by asserting, “He’s (John Daly)  his own worst enemy.” 

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Owing to his then-ongoing personal issues, the year 1999 was visibly one of the worst seasons for Daly on the tour. Between May and June 1999, Daly played a total of seven tournaments. Scrolling through the results, he missed three cuts, withdrew twice, and finished twice outside the Top 50 in those tournaments.

Throwing light on the career of Daly, despite his controversial status, ‘Big John’ was one of the most beloved golfers on the tour. However, his descent, especially withdrawals had started affecting his colossal fandom. A loss, that Zoeller was forced to make Daly realize.

Going ahead in the conversation, Zoeller said, “I told him, ‘Your belt has a lot of notches on it. You’ve got to suck it up and go. You can’t keep withdrawing. That leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths.'”

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Despite Zoeller’s words, Daly failed to rise back, as he underwent another unpleasant season in the year that followed i.e. 2000. Elevating his game, in 2001, he managed to have two Top 10 finishes. Two decades since then, Daly now plays in the PGA Champions Tour. Even though he looks far away from winning now, he continues to be one of the most loved players in the game.