Sports
 

Daly is hero for average Joes like us

Hear me out

Barrett Goldsmith

Let's face it, golf is boring to many people.

I usually don't sit through an entire golf telecast unless it is the Ryder Cup or one of the four majors.

But I don't think I was alone among sports fans when I was glued to the television Sunday for the final round of the Buick Invitational. The reason was evident to anyone who has been even remotely interested in golf for the past 10 years.

John Daly.

Tiger Woods is a joy to watch, both for his otherworldly talent and the positive impact his success has had on the game. But not even Tiger generates the kind of excitement and genuine hysteria as the enigmatic and mercurial country boy from Arkansas.

On the surface, Daly is everything that's wrong with professional sports. He is a substance abuser, he is sometimes violent, and he often behaves like a spoiled brat. He has a short temper and is prone to outbursts.

At a charity golf clinic put on by Peter Jacobson -- who many know as the creator of the famous Golden Tee golf arcade game -- Daly became frustrated with his swing and turned around to launch a drive right into the crowd. Daly holds the PGA record for withdrawals, having simply quit after a bad round on numerous occasions.

So why does everyone root so fervently for him?

Because he is flawed. Because he is human. He has been to alcohol rehab three different times. He has had four marriages, the latest of which to a convicted felon. He is sober one minute, and the next minute he falls back into the abyss of self-destructive drinking.

He looks out of place on a golf course. He is obese. He goes through at least three packs of cigarettes during every round. His swing looks absurd, as though he is simply trying to hit the ball as hard as he can. 

Daly talks like a country bumpkin. Where most golfers will say, "I hit a soft 5-iron," Daly says, "I hit me a 5-iron."

When Daly won the PGA Championship in 1991 as the ninth alternate, he became an instant celebrity. When he won the British Open in a playoff in 1995, everyone in golf thought he had turned the corner. He hadn't.

But as he walked up to the 18th hole at Torrey Pines on Sunday, the ovation he received was as loud as any for Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer or even Tiger.

Who knows if Daly will win again, or if he will even finish his next tournament. But as long as he plays, golf will be fun to watch.

Goldsmith is the sports editor for The Daily Cougar. 
He can be reached at dcsports@mail.uh.edu.