John Daly Miffed to Never Have Made Ryder Cup Team
by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 17, 2010 6:00 PM EDT
in Pro Golf
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PrintOnly John Daly can draw a comparison between himself and the Great Bambino without talking about personal control issues concerning weight and substance abuse. On a Canadian radio station, Daly talked about being upset that he never made a Ryder Cup team despite his two major victories.
According to Golf Digest's John Strege, Daly said, "I feel like I'm the Babe Ruth of golf," he said. "He always wanted to be a manager and he never got that chance. But it's not something that breaks my heart or anything. As long as we hopefully win, that's all that matters."
Fair enough, though Ruth was never even close to becoming Yankee skipper.
Conceivably, Daly had four real opportunities to make the Ryder Cup team - the matches between 1991 and '97 in Spain - at the peak of his career. Using the money list as a proxy for those teams is not exactly a bullet in Big John's chamber, though.
In '91, even with the PGA win, Daly finished 17th on the money list and made his impression too late for Kiawah Island. Though he won the BC Open in 1992, Daly had an otherwise terrible year - 20 places lower on the money list. Winless in '93, he was secured off of the team by finishing 76th in money that year. The pattern repeats again in '94-'95 - a win in the off year and a horrible Ryder Cup season other than the anomaly that is his Open Championship win.
Babe Ruth? Maybe not. That said, Daly - with his girlfriend Anna as Captainess II - would be a site to behold as 2012 Ryder Cup captain.
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Whatever happened to journalists who had enough common sense to tell themselves “this is really stupid – this guy makes less than no sense…I’m going to go do something else now” ? How this thought got into John Daly’s melon should be enough of a mystery….but a “journalist” who doesn’t say “John – that’s not only bizarre, but it doesn’t make any sense – I can’t write this crap – it’d be too embarrassing” ?? Amazing.
Daly didn’t make a Ryder Cup team because he was never high enough in points to make the team on his own, and he wasn’t playing well enough to earn a captain’s pick. It wasn’t a mystery 12-18 years ago.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Fair points
But if playing well was a primary factor, Tiger Woods would be sitting home in Orlando this go-around.
That said, though he might be a nice guy and/or a good team guy, I’m not sure Daly ever brought a spark or some kind of leadership qualities to justify him as a captain’s pick when he fell short on points. Especially with all those years of turmoil in there. I’m sure none of it was exactly a secret to insiders at the time.
by Double Eagle on Sep 17, 2010 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions
was John Daly being considered for this team ? doesn’t seem fair to compare decisions on teams 15 years ago with the teams today. Daly stepped up twice in big situations – but he was never really a big factor for an entire season.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
I don’t really know how much of a consideration he was. Without the same kind of access to golf information we have today, I’m not sure what I even knew at that time what was going on.
Aside from being a fan favorite, I don’t really know if he brought anything else to the table that would have warranted serious consideration, but it’s been so long that it’s hard to recall.
by Double Eagle on Sep 18, 2010 12:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Pretty damn close.
JD has just been made head of the Miffing Persons Bureau.
lol
I thought being miffed was an anger thing and disappointment was more saddness.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
miffed
–adjective
put into an irritable mood, esp. by an offending incident: I was miffed when they didn’t invite me to the party.
Well Mr. Dictionary...we have something else
to play with here…I miffed just a word that our commander in chief used in the article, or did OL JOHN actually use the word. One thing I always admired of John, even when all the self destruction was going on….HE NEVER BLAMED ANYONE ELSE…He stood up and said he did it to himself….so, what word would be appropriate here…miffed, or disappointed !!!!….jis saying mind ya…..STUB
Like a lot of them today...the weather,maybe the pull of gravity
the color of grass…not green enough, the free food served in the locker room…My point was/is,,,,John never layed it off on anyone or anythng else…I can see him sayin he was disappointed, but I don’t see him using Miffed…Pissed?…maybe…..STUB
Hey Ryan...I'm looking in the article
for about the umpteenth time and still can’t find it….Where did John say that the Babe wanted to be manager of the Yankee’s ? And Eagle is right….John was a fan favorite, cause he did what they wished themselves could do…Swill beer and still play…or somethin like that…but would not have fit into the team at any level….His off course behavior killed any chance he might have had…..STUB
it’s not in the article – it’s just history. Babe Ruth did want to manage the Spankees – he even wanted ownership to fire the guy managing the team at the time and put him in. They didn’t do it, of course. Another team, might have been the Braves, offered him an assistant managerial spot, but he would have had to put up his own money.
Daly never drank during a round, did he ? Hard to imagine being that addicted to alcohol and still being able to function.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
This might be a clue ...
A few years ago he was sleeping in his hotel room. At around 2:15 a.m. there were three shots in the adjacent room. JD sprang to his feet, burst into the room and drank all three shots.
Based on a true story, but embellished by the writer.
Court...pls give where this history your writing about and the authorship
can be found….thanks….and by the way…OL John did have a libation or several during a tournament….not during a round, but with and after the evening meal….He himself said on more than one occasion…..“I needed it to keep going”…desperate times called for desperate measures I guess…Sad, with all that talent…I always thought it was because he was afraid to fail….jist a guess on my part….STUB
it’s nothing new…obviously….it’s been in a lot of books. I just pulled up Babe Ruth on Wikipedia and they have a section on it there, too.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Thanks...jist askin,
but howd the Dawgs do yesterday ?….STUB
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