“Can you beat that guy?” - John Daly claims he was once offered $1,000,000 to lose the Open Championship

In June 2021, John Daly, a two-time major champion, startled the sports world with a revelation that sent shockwaves through the golfing community.

During an interaction with Graham Bensinger on his show, "In Depth with Graham Besinger," Daly stated that he was offered a jaw-dropping sum of $1,000,000 to lose the Open Championship.

He detailed the unusual incident, shedding light on how such events sometimes occur in the world of professional golf. When asked by the interviewer, how these conversations go, John Daly said:

"Very short one! Let's put it that way. People come up and say 'Can you beat that guy at the British Open?' or 'Can you beat that guy?' I'm going, 'I don't know!' 'Well, I'm putting money on you.' I said. 'I don't care but don't get mad at me if it don't work out.' 'You know I never have.'

"And then one guy did, he said 'Look, if you tank it...' And I'll remember, it's the year I won. He says, 'Look, if you take it, I'll give you a million bucks,' and I said 'Go f*** yourself, no way.'"

He added:

"But I'm sure I'm not the only player that it's ever happened to and, you know, I didn't know whether to report it to the tour or whatever, but you're not gonna convince me to do one thing or the other."

The incident occurred during the 1995 Open Championship, which was hosted at St. Andrews' famed Old Course. Despite the enticing offer, John Daly demonstrated his integrity by delivering an exceptional performance and winning the coveted golf major.

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John Daly's victory at the 1995 Open Championship

John Daly's 1995 Open Championship win showed his mastery of the historic Old Course's enormous greens and difficult run-ups. Daly defeated Constantino Rocca and others to win his second major championship.

Tiger Woods, then an amateur, made his debut, while veteran Arnold Palmer played his last British Open that year.

Daly was consistent, sharing the lead after the first and second rounds with Ben Crenshaw, Tom Watson, Brad Faxon, and Katsuyoshi Tomori. Daly and He then fought a thrilling final round with Rocca.

Rocca's 18th-hole birdie putt through the Valley of Sin kept the contest alive after Daly appeared to have won. In a dramatic four-hole playoff, Daly showed his composure and brilliance to win the prestigious title.