Better chance of another John Daly or another Tiger Woods?

[HipCheck]

Since lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, I've done this "Name the Pro. Wrong answers only." game on Twitter. I comb thru Getty Images for an interesting pic each day. I was looking thru John Daly photos and he's fascinating. I won't really get into Tiger's story because everyone knows it. Rigorously coached from birth by an ex-Vet dad, to the second greatest golfer of all time (Hi Jack!). Anyway...

Daly's story is amazing. Two majors and 18 wins. All kinds of strange incidents. I can guarantee no tour pro has hit more balls in the water for his career than JD. Drinking problems and bad behavior. Yet the same guy gave $30,000 to a family of a man killed by lightning at the 91 PGA champ, even though he wasn't wealthy at the time. Admittedly I don't remember the '91 PGA or '95 Open well. Here's a PGA refresher.



The question is, will we have a better chance at seeing a John Daly or another Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour? Now, everything is coached up, rigorous and structured. Can some random pro come out of nowhere to stardom? I just can't see it ever happening. I think we'd have a better chance of another Tiger Woods.

 

[fuffle master]

Better chance we see another Tiger. With the way players have become so fit aware and how much they work on their game and themselves, I think you have a much better chance of seeing another great player like a Tiger dominating and becoming the next great over a person like John Daly who is out there smoking, drinking, and just having a good time while playing. I think the PGA is too competitive at this point to have someone like Daly anymore.

He was fun and tragic to watch.

 

[BriMac]

The path to the tour seems so ridiculously hard. Could someone with Daly’s game but lack of discipline make it today? And then be able to have some staying power, win majors, while still being a train wreck? Unlikely. He’s one of a kind.

 

[LICC]

Tiger was a unique talent. We will not see anyone at his level likely for decades. He is the GOAT and played the greatest golf ever seen for an extended period of time.

 

[tahoebum]

Another Daly. I don’t see anyone winning 10 or more majors in my lifetime, let alone 15 majors. Jack, Tiger, Watson, and Gary Player are the only men alive with more than 6 majors.

 

[golfunfiltered]

Another John Daly, for sure. Tiger did what he did and that's going to be the only time any of us see anything like it. I see John Daly's once a year.

 

[Sox_Fan]

Daly. Tiger is a generational talent. Heck, even I can get hot and play above my talent level for a short period of time.

 

[WLG1952]

I have to go with another John Daly first. Come out of college, win a couple of majors, and then kind of just fade way.

Tiger Woods is/was a once in a life time talent. Winning is all that mattered to him.

 

[GoldenBuff]

I’m with the Daly crowd. Hard swinging, big eating, party-mode players will show up every year and one will find a run now and then. Tiger is unique in nearly every possible way.

 

[Flipit]

I don’t think we will see either. Daly is an interesting character and really doesn’t fit the mold of a Pro golfer now if ever. I’ve always liked him. He seems to still struggle with demons, but hey he is still playing and still capable of winning.

If we ever see another like Tiger I’d be surprised. His work ethic and drive, well there may already be guys on tour that have it. He changed the game and I think it’s just become the model for the Pro golfer. The fitness, power, and such is much more common these days. Now the dominant fashion we saw with Tiger is once in a generation in my mind.

 

[Jmk202]

Daly is very unique but there can be another personality that is comparable. I don't think there can be another Tiger.

 

[Ooo]

Would think probably Daly. I don't think Daly played above his talent, think he wasted it. Have thought for a long time that Daly may have been the only player with the talent to play with Tiger. He had a very good all round game in his prime.

 

[Chef23]

I would say Daly. Daly was a lightning in a bottle guy who wasted his talent. Tiger is a generational talent who frankly came close to maximizing it.

 

[ddstanford]

I think they are both outliers and unique sorts we will not see again in my lifetime.

 

[Raiderboost]

I vote Daly. As has been mentioned someone just needs to get hot for a short time.

 

[baylrballa]

Daly is very unique but there can be another personality that is comparable. I don't think there can be another Tiger.

 

[Bernoulli]

I would say Daly because his path to the Tour and to major victories is easier to imagine than having another Tiger come along. Daly had amateur success, played college golf, had success on the minor tours and earned his way onto the Tour at Q school. That's a fairly common path for many of the golfers on the PGA . There are people like Daly coming to the Tour every year, maybe not with his personality and character. I don't see why one of these guys can't achieve Major success.

And, to this day, I've always thought that Daly had the game to win at Augusta.

 

[HipCheck]

I would say Daly because his path to the Tour and to major victories is easier to imagine than having another Tiger come along. Daly had amateur success, played college golf, had success on the minor tours and earned his way onto the Tour at Q school. That's a fairly common path for many of the golfers on the PGA . There are people like Daly coming to the Tour every year, maybe not with his personality and character. I don't see why one of these guys can't achieve Major success.

And, to this day, I've always thought that Daly had the game to win at Augusta.

Agree. He had the game over others in the early 90s. Much longer. Finished 3rd in '93.

 

[BigMac]

I think another Daly is a lot more likely than another Woods. There are a lot of good, athletic young players, but nobody with the ability (both physical and mental) for dominance over such a long period.

 

[annsguy]

I kind of see JD today like a Tin Cup type character. I dont see someone sneaking up on the tour like that again.
With todays training, swing instruction, nutrition etc I can see another Tiger type player. That doesnt mean his record will be the same but a person who is mentally strong and has a bullet proof swing and is intimidating.

 

[Duffer Waldorf]

Better chance is Daly, no question. Woods's feats are too large to expect to see that again any time soon.

 

[Nate]

Man, seeing Daly's swing breakdown like that again brings back memories of when he was a force on tour. It was fun watching him golf that ball when he was on.

 

[G-Man]

Between the two I think it has to be John Daly as a better chance. There is such a high bar to be another Tiger. I think we thought we saw a glimmer in Spieth when he went on a terror and even Anthony Kim or McIlroy, but everyone fizzles on the momentum. Nobody has the drive that he does and i think that came apparent through michael jordan documentary and Tiger woods book. These superstars are wired differently.

 

[Badger_Golfer]

Im going to say Daly because theres so many players out there who are unperfect but have so much raw talent. Look at Bubba, look at Brooks, look at Matthew Wolff. They all are players who play the game their way, even if its supposedly wrong but they make it work.