"Tired of embarrassing myself" - When John Daly revealed he was 'done' with professional golf

Modified Mar 30, 2025 17:50 GMT

John Daly Syndication: Desert Sun - Source: Imagn

John Daly once revealed in an interview that he was "done" with playing professional golf. Back in 2010, Daly, popularly known as Long John, expressed his frustration in an interview with the Golf Channel.

Daly was playing in the Farmers Insurance Open that year, and after two rounds, he failed to get past the cut line. He scored an overall 79-71 at Torrey Pines, missing the cut by a margin of nine shots. While he was going to the parking lot of the San Diego golf venue, John Daly was questioned by a journalist from the Golf Channel. The two-time major champion's comments hinted towards potential retirement:

"I'm done. I'm done. I can't compete. I can't play like I used to. I can't keep taking spots from guys out here playing this bad. It's not worth it. I'm tired of embarrassing myself in front of them. I just can't do it any more. Can't do it any more."

John Daly's interview was set up following the storyline of "Being John Daly", a reality show starring the PGA Tour pro. Although his comments hinted at an early retirement, Daly later clarified that he was going through a lean run and wanted a bit of time to regain his form. Long John had missed the cut at the 2010 Buick Open after shooting 88 as well.

Despite his turbulent form, Daly kept playing in a lot of golf tournaments after the 2010 Farmers Insurance Open. The 1991 PGA Championship winner played in several tournaments, especially on the Champions Tour. He kept performing in the golf majors as well. Although he was set to perform in last year's PGA Championship, he withdrew after a thumb injury.

In his professional career, John Daly has five victories in the PGA Tour and three wins in the European Tour. Renowned for his singling, Daly also scored two wins in major championships. Although he did not win in Augusta, the closest he came to donning the green jacket was back in 1993. Daly tied for the third place in The Masters leaderboard.

John Daly's professional victories and Major wins

Daly broke into the spotlight with his heroic performance in the 1991 PGA Championship. It was his first victory in the golf majors. Daly won the prestigious title by securing the victory from Bruce Lietzke with a margin of three strokes.

Daly's second win at the golf majors came back in 1995. He won that year's The Open Championship (British Open) by defeating Costantino Rocca. The duo was tied after their final rounds at St. Andrews. In a playoff that lasted for four holes, Daly picked up the win with a 15 in comparison to Rocca's 19.

Here's a look at his career wins:

Major wins: