Flashback: John Daly stuns golfing world with debut USPGA title in Indiana in 1991

John Daly stunned the golfing world to win the US PGA title at the Crooked Stick Golf Club in Indiana in August 1991.
File photo dated 20-07-2001 of America's John Daly tees off on 2nd hole during the second day of the 130th Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes golf course.File photo dated 20-07-2001 of America's John Daly tees off on 2nd hole during the second day of the 130th Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes golf course.
File photo dated 20-07-2001 of America's John Daly tees off on 2nd hole during the second day of the 130th Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes golf course.

Daly had been a tour rookie and ninth reserve for the tournament, and had to drive across the country the night before, and take part on a course he had never played on before.

Nick Price had withdrawn on the eve of the tournament because his wife went into labour, and although Daly did not have a practice round, he managed to secure Price’s Caddy Jeff Medlin’s services throughout the tournament.

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Although he was not a ‘typical’ golfer, and grew up in rural Arkansas, the 25-year-old Daly hit the ball further than the competition, regularly driving 300 yards, at a time when few others were, and had several measured at more than 370 yards.

Sporting a blond mullet, Daly finished the first round three below par and in eighth. In the second, Daly improved, finishing with 67 and taking the lead with -8. He then scored -3 on the third round to go into the final with a three-shot lead.

In the final round, the outsider was able to hold his nerve and claim his first major and first PGA tour win at the 73rd PGA Championship.

Immediately after taking the title, he announced he was donating a $30,000 scholarship fund to the daughters of fan Thomas Weaver who was killed when he was struck by lightning while attending the PGA Championship.

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The win turned Daly immediately into one of the game’s biggest names, and he was named PGA Rookie of the Year for 1991.

In later years, he went on to win the 1995 Open Championship at St Andrews, having been suspended by the PGA Tour in 2003.

His last win was in 2004, and he is the only eligible two-time major trophy holder to never have been chosen for a Ryder Cup team.

OnThis Day In Sport

1936: American Marjorie Gestring became the youngest winner of an individual Olympic gold medal when she won the springboard diving title at the Berlin Games at the age of 13 years and 286 days.

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1949: Bert Sutcliffe scored 100 not out in the second innings of New Zealand’s game against Essex at Southend – the first New Zealander to score two centuries in a match in England, having scored 243 in the first innings.

1960: American long-jumper Ralph Boston set a new world record with a leap of 8.21 metres, breaking the mark of 8.13m set by Jesse Owens 25 years earlier.

2004: France playmaker Zinedine Zidane announced his retirement from international football. The World Cup winner reversed his decision a year later.

2007: Tiger Woods won his 13th career major with a two-stroke victory over Woody Austin in the US PGA Championship at Southern Hills, Oklahoma.

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2012: Anthony Joshua brought a thrilling end to the Olympic boxing tournament with a countback victory over Roberto Cammarelle to win gold, while Fred Evans was forced to settle for a silver medal after losing a wide 17-9 decision to Kazakh Serik Sapiyev in their men’s welterweight final.

2013: England won a third-successive Ashes series after a 74-run victory in the fourth Test at Chester-le-Street gave them a 3-0 lead with one match to play.

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