I am not sure why I wanted to blog on John Daly..I guess the question WHY? keeps coming to mind each time JD hits the news.
I think all of us know a John Daly or two. All are great guys or gals who have more golf talent in their little figure than Tiger Woods, but for a multitude of reasons just cannot make the cut at the major events played on the golf course that is between their ears. Over the years have had the honor of playing with a few of these guys..and yes women, who are very talented golfers, very exciting golfers, but for some reason just a short distance from being a winner on the big stage. As far as the real John Daly..does anyone really know him? I don’t.
I admire people like JD. John wants to be a stand up guy and 90% of the time does things to give you the impression that he is a stand up guy, but then immediately will do things that just really boggles the mind into asking what the heck was he thinking. His recent escapade with lap-band surgery is one of the many things John has done to make me think this way.
John seems to be a smart guy in some ways. He stands back after being suspended from playing in the PGA and sees he has to do something with his health. Good move. Sometimes taking drastic action is needed, which I can’t dispute is sometimes necessary. What was not necessary was his hurry-back to playing golf after making a HUGE change to his health.
Every incident where John takes a step backwards, like his shooting an 88 at the Buick Open, leads one to ask questions. The big questions is…Why?
Why did John come back to playing competitive golf so soon after the lap-band procedure? Was it due to him being so much debt? Probably.
All the other questions on why he he is still playing lead to the same questions concerning his need for money.
There is no doubt that JD can play and he can win. There is no doubt in my mind and somewhere in his mind he knows it also. However, that just starts more questions… Wouldn’t it have been better for JD to take a little less stressful approach at coming back to winning? Shouldn’t he have taken off a year to loss the weight from the procedure before putting himself in the grind of flying around the world playing competitive golf to just get a pay check?
Heck from what I can figure he could set up shop at the Hot Springs Driving Range and Bait Shop and give lessons on how hit a golf ball 400 yds. He would have a line of people wanting to pay him $400 a pop to learn. Wouldn’t that have raised as much money as he did trotting around Europe in yellow britches drinking diet cokes?
I know the golf world, or at least the traditional golf world, has written JF off, for about the 10th time. And I know as soon as JD tees it up somewhere again they will jump in to be part of his come back…that is because JD makes them money. (Funny how that word money comes up in GOLF all the time). But does that help John?
There is a solution to JD getting to where he wants to be and fee his drive to come back as a winner. Like many people before who have said and suggested to John, he really does need a true manager of his entire life. John has to take a backseat to promoting himself and take the advice of people who care more for him than they do for themselves.
John does not have too many years left to accomplish his goal and pushing it to the limit to make a buck is not going to work. HE is on the right track on getting his health back..losing weight and stop smoking and drinking will add a few more years, but he needs to wait on letting his body adjust to that change before putting it on the race track.
JD is good for golf and is the only reason I would blog about him. He brings to golf the freewheeling spirit that is part of golf. He is an all around good golfer..has the complete game inside the ropes.
Lets hope that JD disappears for a while, gets his health back together..maybe hit the treadmill or make a few laps in the pool, and then show up looking like a winner instead of the guy who holds up the center pool while they raise the circus tent.
JD, The redneck golfers of the world are pulling for ya..don’t let them down..and let me know how I can help.
