Sadly true (golf thread)

[pan6467]

I loved watching this man golf. Although, I loved Payne Stewart's game and felt his was the perfect swing, there was something about Daly and his "GRIP IT AND RIP IT" testimonials and common man attitudes. He wasn't some snob who was raised at the truly snobbish country clubs. He was the kind of guy, we could relate to. He was our age and showed that our generation was moving up and taking over.

Yeah right. Perhaps it was his commonness, that allowed the self destruction. The attitude he had talent and that was all he needed, perhaps ran it's course and lack of upkeep on the talent caught up. Who knows, it's just sad, but the obituary he started to write years ago is finding it's end.

Daly was the man, and now, well he is a shell living on past talents and name recognition. Something tells me if you had a couple thousand (Hell it may only take a few hundred and gas money) and a weekend, you could probably have him coach you a bit and play a few rounds with him. Sad thing is, I doubt there are many that would even do that anymore.

Golf's Britney:

Daly had talent

By Rich Tosches

Tuesday, Jan 29, 2008 5:40 pm EST

You're a tad over your ideal weight in the sense that when you do something right a guy carrying a bucket blows a whistle and throws you a herring.

You gulp down twenty or more Diet Cokes every day and the caffeine now makes your hands shake so bad your autograph looks like a prescription.

The two packs of cigarettes a day have slowed down your walk so much TV viewers can't tell if they're watching a golf tournament or "March of the Penguins."

Luckily, though, you no longer have to play a grueling 72 holes of PGA tournament golf every week like you once did. Those days – the 1991 PGA Championship and the 1995 British Open championship ring a bell? – seem to be over. Now it's just a bad round of golf on Thursday, another bad round on Friday, you miss the cut and you're outta' there.

You squeeze into your motor home, fire up the engine and another Marlboro Light and then it's just you and the open road, the hands that once turned a golf club into a magician's wand now clenched tight around the steering wheel as your eyes scan the horizon for a glimmer of hope or a flicker of the old promise.

You don't find either of those. But on a more positive note, up ahead there's a big "Homemade Pies" sign and you step on the gas.

You are John Daly and you'd be golf's answer to Britney Spears except for that one pesky, irritating little thing: You had talent.

Oh my goodness, did you have talent.

The swing was the biggest ever, a wrap-around freakish backswing followed by a ridiculous explosion of downswing energy, less a golf swing, really, than something you'd see from a guy who's given one swing with an ax to win a Million-Dollar Lumberjack Challenge.

The ball would make a screeching/whistling noise as it shattered the air and the fans would absolutely gasp and make whooping noises as it disappeared, usually into the middle of the fairway, in a place far, far away.

There's nothing left now. Some people have sleepless nights. You've had sleepless decades. The booze and the cigarettes and the bad food and the wife you said tried to stab you with a steak knife…none of that helped, either.

You've earned a little more than $9 million on the golf course. You told us that in one night, with a head full of whiskey, you lost $1 million in Las Vegas. We believe you. And we imagine now that you're getting pretty close to broke.

You'll be 42 in April. You've made the cut in just 18 of your last 67 PGA Tour events. And not that you care, but you are currently tied for 156th place on the money list. In three tournaments this year you've earned the grand sum of $9,805. We believe the guy whose job it is to make sure Tiger Woods' shoelaces are the same length has made $9,805 this year.

Those of us who watched, who cheered the mammoth swing and the soft touch around the greens and the outlandish things you said and the even more outlandish things you did, well, we figure the ride is just about over.

And we are sad.

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/go...urn=golf,64196

[silent_jay]

I used to love Daly when I was following golf, the win at the British Open was classic, and I was as excited watching that as I have been watching any other sport. It's too bad the route his career has taken, he could have been great, he could be Tiger, but he just couldn't get over the demons that made him make bad choices. I hope he wins another tournament again, but I'm not mholding my breath.

[spindles]

This reminds me of stories of battlers winning the lottery and being flat broke again 12 months later, and the world is littered with sports people that had so much talent and just wasted it.

It is sad to see so much talent go down the gurgler, but he certainly is not alone.

Golf is also one of those confidence games - the professional circuit is littered with Players (Ian Baker Finch comes to mind) whose game just completely deserted them, usually based on self-doubt creeping into your game...

I think you just have to cherish the memories when these people were on top of their game (though Baker Finch is far from broke...)

[troit]

It's a true love of the game and unshakable faith that keeps me watching and still rooting for these guys. I mean who doesn't want to see David Duval win one?

[highthief]

Originally Posted by troit

I mean who doesn't want to see David Duval win one?

I'd much rather see Duval win again than Daly.

[cameroncrazy822]

You know it is a bit sad whenever one views someone not actualizing, moreover, sabotaging themselves. I don't feel bad for the guy though. He's been to the top of the mountain and decided, either consciously or otherwise, to take a path that leads them away from success. I do however enjoy the fact that the guy is "real". He went on the wagon before and basically told the world that the "dry" life was just not for him. He smokes on the course. He's obese, and he drinks like a fish. So what I say. He admits it and isn't ashamed either. He could be like others who are crystal clean for public consumption but then bangs heroine and beats on women in private. The guy is real, like any number of us. He's been to the top of the mountain, made the dough, and had the celebrity. Now all he wants to do is drink, smoke, and play golf (occasionally well). So what I say. Make your bed and all that stuff. He doesn't apologize for anything and that's what I like about the guy

[loquitur]

My question is this: why is it that the simple act of me buying golf balls results in those golf balls suddenly acquiring a magnetic attraction to water? I haven't been able to figure that out. Anyone have any ideas?

[pan6467]

Originally Posted by cameroncrazy822

You know it is a bit sad whenever one views someone not actualizing, moreover, sabotaging themselves. I don't feel bad for the guy though. He's been to the top of the mountain and decided, either consciously or otherwise, to take a path that leads them away from success. I do however enjoy the fact that the guy is "real". He went on the wagon before and basically told the world that the "dry" life was just not for him. He smokes on the course. He's obese, and he drinks like a fish. So what I say. He admits it and isn't ashamed either. He could be like others who are crystal clean for public consumption but then bangs heroine and beats on women in private. The guy is real, like any number of us. He's been to the top of the mountain, made the dough, and had the celebrity. Now all he wants to do is drink, smoke, and play golf (occasionally well). So what I say. Make your bed and all that stuff. He doesn't apologize for anything and that's what I like about the guy

Very true this. If he likes this lifestyle who are any of us to try to tell him how bad he has it? He has it pretty damn good, better than most.

I just miss that power and the fact when he was on top he was "me", the regular man who just went out and was able to beat all those guys who felt that he was "below them". Only one other great I can think of like that in golf..... Lee Trevino.

Originally Posted by loquitur

My question is this: why is it that the simple act of me buying golf balls results in those golf balls suddenly acquiring a magnetic attraction to water? I haven't been able to figure that out. Anyone have any ideas?

I got nothing for you here. I stay pretty dry, my balls though seem to have tree magnets in them, I can have a great shot but then my ball will slice at the end till it hits a tree and gets eaten without a trace. I'd think that the tree would at least leave a ball crumb laying around so as to really rub it all in.

[spindles]

Originally Posted by loquitur

My question is this: why is it that the simple act of me buying golf balls results in those golf balls suddenly acquiring a magnetic attraction to water? I haven't been able to figure that out. Anyone have any ideas?

It is not just you. It is a conspiracy by ball manufacturers

[silent_jay]

Went golfing with a buddy a few years ago, fucker couldn't hit a fairway if his life depended on it, now we're at this hole with a dog-leg left, I'm almost in the bush to the far right so there's no way he should come near me, suddenly there's a ball coming at me, I managed to get almost all of my body behind part of my golf bag and pull cart, the one part, my left ankle, took one for the team, luckily it never hit the bone, but left one hell of a bruise on the meat. It was the only ball he actually got hold of all day and of course I'm the only thing he hit, fairways weren't his friend.

[highthief]

Originally Posted by loquitur

My question is this: why is it that the simple act of me buying golf balls results in those golf balls suddenly acquiring a magnetic attraction to water? I haven't been able to figure that out. Anyone have any ideas?

Stop thinking about the water and don't try 300 yard carries over ponds unless your first name is "Tiger" and your last name is "Woods".

[absorbentishe]

Well, trees are 90% air? A really bad golfer told me that once.