General / Mike Norman / 10 November 2011 /

Loved by many, but never out of trouble, John Daly has been up to his usual tricks in Australia this morning. Mike Norman explains, and takes a look back through his controversial career.

Whilst most of the British public were sleeping peacefully this morning, some of us dreaming of shooting 59 around St Andrews no doubt, American golfer John Daly was - not for the first time in his troubled career - storming off a golf course after hitting six (or seven) golf balls into the water during the first round of the Australian Open.

Loved by many much for his behaviour and personal life as the exciting golf he plays, two-time Major champion Daly has never failed to make headlines during his 24-year professional career. Remember these?

Bad behaviour off the course
Daly has never been free from controversy during his time as a professional golfer, with allegations into his private life and well-documented alcohol and gambling problems threatening to end his career. For PGA Tour officials it all became too much towards the end of the 2008 season as news broke of yet another embarrassing John Daly moment. Already reprimanded that year for hitting a tee shot off the top of a beer can during a pro-am (and thus breaking some advertising rule), Daly - nicknamed Wild Thing by his fans - was arrested for public intoxication after passing out in a North Carolina restaurant. The PGA Tour agreed that his behaviour throughout 2008 had brought too much bad publicity, and they punished Daly with a six month suspension.

... and bad behaviour on it
This morning's incident of Daly walking off the course (amusing spectator clip of the incident below) is nothing new. Only two months ago, following a rules infringement - and a few bad shots of his own doing - at the Austrian Open, Daly threw his club into a lake and stormed off the course, much to the disbelief of his playing partner Miguel Angel Jimenez. He was disqualified from the 1993 Kemper Open for throwing his scoring card away, whilst in 1994 he quit half way through the Kapalua International and was told to seek treatment for alcoholism. He is not stranger to controversy at the Australian Open either; three years ago Daly smashed a spectator's camera during the first round at Royal Sydney, accusing the amateur photographer of burning his eyes with the flash.

Marriage problems
Daly has been divorced four times in his life, but perhaps his most publicised moment with a partner came in June 2007 when he claimed that his wife tried to stab him with a steak knife. The couple had been dining out in Memphis where Daly was participating at the St Jude Championship. When an argument broke out Daly called the local police and filed a complaint with the Sheriff's Office, later issuing a statement saying he was the, "victim of an assault by my wife". The knife was never found, but Daly was the centre of attention from photographers during the following day's second round play, the golfer clearly visible with cuts and scrapes across his face. It was rather amusing then, that during Tiger Woods' well-document personal problems, Daly thought he best give the great man some crucial marriage advice.

Drugs claim
In the summer of 1994 Daly claimed that many golfers, especially those on the PGA Tour, were cocaine users, and that if drug testing was done correctly on tour then he would be, "one of the cleanest guys out there." With no proof to back up his claim Daly found himself at the centre of a backlash from his fellow professionals angered by his comments, and many 'unconfirmed' reports of bust-ups (between Daly and other players) surfaced. Daly never played again that season, citing physical and mental exhaustion, but many people believe the real reason he didn't play was a deliberate attempt to stay away from the players he'd angered and let the situation cool. The following season Daly won the 1995 British Open at the home of golf, St Andrews.

Topless and fashion
We'll end by highlighting Daly's light-hearted and sometimes bizarre side, a side that some say he portrays to hide the troubles in his life. Daly is not only a colourful character, he is extremely colourful in a fashion sense too and can often be seen playing a professional round of golf in a cocktail of brightly-coloured attire. But as this clip shows he doesn't always wear bright clothing when the camera is rolling. Whilst on course-design duty, Daly gave an interview and hit a few shots whilst wearing no shirt or shoes, and cigarette in mouth. Some questioned his state of mind, but come on, this is just John Daly isn't it?

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