Daly excesses just small part of troubles for golfer
BY ED SHERMAN
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO - After reading John Daly's new book "My Life in and out of the Rough," you're struck that he lived long enough to gamble away $55 million.
It's not just the drinking, which is substantial. He says he used to average a fifth of Jack Daniel's a day.
The cholesterol and caffeine should have gotten him by now. He could go through 15 to 20 packs of peanut M&Ms in a round. He writes about hating vegetables and fish. Daly lives on pizza, Mexican food and, mostly, steak and potatoes. So much for the food pyramid.
Daly also consumes an average of 15 cans of Diet Coke a day. It's a wonder the guy gets any sleep.
And don't forget his two-packs-a-day cigarette habit. It's a wonder he doesn't lose his breath walking the fairways.
Factor in the other near misses, such as once speeding through 17 straight red lights and having his father put a gun to his head, even Daly is amazed he's still around to tell his story.
"Sometimes I wonder how I'm still standing, let alone chasing a third major," the 40-year old writes.
Daly's book, which hits stores Monday, already has received considerable attention for the disclosure about his gambling losses. It almost comes off as a plea for help, though Daly said this week he wasn't going to seek any, despite the urging of PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem.
But Daly's big gambling revelation comes at the end of the book. By then, you know all about his other demons.
Co-written by Glen Waggoner, the book details a man known for excess and extremes, and the consequences that come with them.
"Sometimes I feel like a character in a bad soap opera that's stuck in replay mode," Daly writes.
It's hard to feel sorry for Daly because he brought much of it on himself. With a father who was a heavy drinker, Daly and his brother Jamie were left alone for long stretches during their teen years in Arkansas. The brothers reacted by throwing large drinking parties.
Daly got an early start hitting the bottle. Once during a junior tournament, he was disqualified because Jack Daniel's was found in his bag. Later the drinking often got him in trouble, leading to rages in which he'd tear up his home or hotel rooms.
Daly writes that the gambling started after he came out of rehab the first time in 1993. Calling it a "cross-addiction," he replaced alcohol with the slots. By the end of that year, he made $340,000 on the PGA Tour but owed $4 million to the casinos.
It got worse from there.
Daly also chronicles his stormy love life. Wife No. 4, Sherrie, is in prison for money laundering. Obviously, he hasn't had much luck there.
Meanwhile, Daly continues to soldier on in golf. He has won two majors, and after being written off a few years back, he bounced back to win the 2004 Buick Invitational. Last year he finished second twice.
The book makes you wonder about his true potential if he had dedicated himself to the game. He is an exceptional athlete with rare natural gifts.
This passage sums it up best. Once Daly was sitting in the clubhouse enjoying some beers when Tiger Woods walked by on his way to the gym.
Daly: "Hey, man, don't you ever get tired of (working out)? Why don't you just come over and have a few beers with us and hang out?"
Woods: "If I had your talent, John, I wouldn't have to work out."
If Daly had Woods' work ethic, he might have been one of the best players ever. But Daly probably would say, "But I wouldn't be me."
Daly clearly lives to have a good time. He enjoys being around people, and they obviously like being with him.
He writes that he has given up Jack Daniel's and that he drinks only Miller Lite. He also says he wants to make his marriage work.
Yet the final passage about his gambling shows that Daly still has huge obstacles to overcome. He writes about a moderation plan in which he would start with $25 slots and walk out after he lost a certain amount. That has no chance of working.
I don't know how casinos work, but clearly, he needs to stop gambling.
Daly concludes by writing that he hopes a movie based on the book will feature a third major victory for a happy ending. While his fans hope that's the case, after reading the book, you'll be worried about another ending that isn't as happy.
BY ED SHERMAN
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO - After reading John Daly's new book "My Life in and out of the Rough," you're struck that he lived long enough to gamble away $55 million.
It's not just the drinking, which is substantial. He says he used to average a fifth of Jack Daniel's a day.
The cholesterol and caffeine should have gotten him by now. He could go through 15 to 20 packs of peanut M&Ms in a round. He writes about hating vegetables and fish. Daly lives on pizza, Mexican food and, mostly, steak and potatoes. So much for the food pyramid.
Daly also consumes an average of 15 cans of Diet Coke a day. It's a wonder the guy gets any sleep.
And don't forget his two-packs-a-day cigarette habit. It's a wonder he doesn't lose his breath walking the fairways.
Factor in the other near misses, such as once speeding through 17 straight red lights and having his father put a gun to his head, even Daly is amazed he's still around to tell his story.
"Sometimes I wonder how I'm still standing, let alone chasing a third major," the 40-year old writes.
Daly's book, which hits stores Monday, already has received considerable attention for the disclosure about his gambling losses. It almost comes off as a plea for help, though Daly said this week he wasn't going to seek any, despite the urging of PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem.
But Daly's big gambling revelation comes at the end of the book. By then, you know all about his other demons.
Co-written by Glen Waggoner, the book details a man known for excess and extremes, and the consequences that come with them.
"Sometimes I feel like a character in a bad soap opera that's stuck in replay mode," Daly writes.
It's hard to feel sorry for Daly because he brought much of it on himself. With a father who was a heavy drinker, Daly and his brother Jamie were left alone for long stretches during their teen years in Arkansas. The brothers reacted by throwing large drinking parties.
Daly got an early start hitting the bottle. Once during a junior tournament, he was disqualified because Jack Daniel's was found in his bag. Later the drinking often got him in trouble, leading to rages in which he'd tear up his home or hotel rooms.
Daly writes that the gambling started after he came out of rehab the first time in 1993. Calling it a "cross-addiction," he replaced alcohol with the slots. By the end of that year, he made $340,000 on the PGA Tour but owed $4 million to the casinos.
It got worse from there.
Daly also chronicles his stormy love life. Wife No. 4, Sherrie, is in prison for money laundering. Obviously, he hasn't had much luck there.
Meanwhile, Daly continues to soldier on in golf. He has won two majors, and after being written off a few years back, he bounced back to win the 2004 Buick Invitational. Last year he finished second twice.
The book makes you wonder about his true potential if he had dedicated himself to the game. He is an exceptional athlete with rare natural gifts.
This passage sums it up best. Once Daly was sitting in the clubhouse enjoying some beers when Tiger Woods walked by on his way to the gym.
Daly: "Hey, man, don't you ever get tired of (working out)? Why don't you just come over and have a few beers with us and hang out?"
Woods: "If I had your talent, John, I wouldn't have to work out."
If Daly had Woods' work ethic, he might have been one of the best players ever. But Daly probably would say, "But I wouldn't be me."
Daly clearly lives to have a good time. He enjoys being around people, and they obviously like being with him.
He writes that he has given up Jack Daniel's and that he drinks only Miller Lite. He also says he wants to make his marriage work.
Yet the final passage about his gambling shows that Daly still has huge obstacles to overcome. He writes about a moderation plan in which he would start with $25 slots and walk out after he lost a certain amount. That has no chance of working.
I don't know how casinos work, but clearly, he needs to stop gambling.
Daly concludes by writing that he hopes a movie based on the book will feature a third major victory for a happy ending. While his fans hope that's the case, after reading the book, you'll be worried about another ending that isn't as happy.
