“That's why I never get injured. You can pull a muscle but you can't pull fat.”
- John Daly, 1992
By 1992, John Daly had already become one of golf’s most unexpected superstars. Just a year earlier, he arrived at the PGA Championship as the ninth alternate, barely prepared and largely unknown, then stunned the sport by winning the tournament at Crooked Stick by three strokes.
Everything about Daly challenged golf’s traditional image. He swung with reckless power, smoked cigarettes during rounds, wore eye-catching outfits, and carried himself with the attitude of someone who never expected to fit the mold. Rather than embracing the polished country-club culture that defined the game, he remained unapologetically himself.
That authenticity became a major part of his appeal. Daly wasn’t promoting perfect technique, discipline, or refinement. He represented raw talent, personality, and a willingness to ignore expectations. Fans connected with him because he made elite golf feel less like a carefully engineered science and more like a high-stakes wager that somehow ended with a major championship trophy.
Daly’s remarkable rise began with his victory at the 1991 PGA Championship after entering the field as the ninth alternate. He later added another major title by winning the 1995 Open Championship at St Andrews, cementing his place as one of the sport’s most memorable figures.