John Daly, who begins today’s second round of the PGA Championship near the top of the leaderboard at four-under par, has been a fan favorite since he won the ’91 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Ind. Big John also a favorite among his peers, including Tiger Woods, who began today one hot behind Daly.
John Daly
“I played with John for the very first time when I was 13,” the Striped One said. “So to me, that’s (when) our relationship started there. Then when I came on Tour he was great. We had lunch, we played practice rounds. He’s always been great to me over the years. I have always rooted for him. I have always been a John Daly fan and a friend.”
Woods recalled one shot in particular that the powerful Daly hit during a tournament in Texarkana, Ark.
“At the time he was playing that‑‑ what was that ball‑‑ the (Maxfli) Pro Max back in the day,” Woods said. “I think it was an Aussie ball and he hit a 4‑ or 5‑iron – he was playing Pings at the time. The second hole is a par 5 up the hill down the grain; he hit the shot and he knocked the damn ball out of bounds. He hit it solid right in the middle of the green.
“I’ve never seen anybody hit the ball that hard. A flush shot, granted, it’s a little balata base, but still, not too often you hit a 4‑iron or 5‑iron and went right in the middle of the green and took it out of play.”
