Even though John Daly hasn’t played in the Masters since 2006, that hasn’t stopped him from making Augusta his personal business playground. For Daly, the Masters week has nothing to do with tee times. Instead, it’s about selling autographed golf balls, his signature $40 hats, and even $250 cigar boxes bearing his name and image.
According to ESPN, Daly and his crew pulled in a whopping $780,000 in sales during last year’s tournament week. And they believe 2024 could top that.
“Eat some good food, smoke, sell some s**t,” Daly told ESPN of his annual visit to the Augusta Hooters.
From PGA champ to parking lot legend
Daly burst into golf’s mainstream consciousness in 1991 with his shocking PGA Championship win as a ninth alternate – thanks to his monster drives and laid-back approach.
From there, he became the face of golf’s wild side: known for chain-smoking cigarettes during rounds, guzzling Diet Cokes and beer, and flaunting loud outfits and a signature mullet.
While some in golf’s elite circles scoffed at his lifestyle, Daly cultivated an enormous fanbase – blue-collar folks who saw themselves in the unfiltered Arkansas native.
“John Daly’s my hero,” one local told ESPN during the week. “He’s the best, drunkest golfer there ever was.”
And while he may not be competing on the fairways anymore, the Daly brand is still going strong – thriving even outside Augusta’s gates. Daly sets up his mobile merchandise booth at the Hooters parking lot and greets fans for hours on end, creating an unofficial Masters sideshow that many now consider tradition.
Daly’s larger-than-life persona hasn’t been without setbacks. He’s endured numerous health issues over the years, including a bout with bladder cancer in 2020 and 16 surgeries that have left him with more screws and hardware than most golf carts.
“I got more metal in me than the bionic man Lee Majors does,” Daly joked. “But I’m still living, man. I’m like Lazarus, I just keep coming back from the f**king dead.
“I may never get in the Hall of Fame, but you know what? It seems like I’ll always have the fans. I love them, and they know that. We just connect. Blue-collar people are supposed to connect.”
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