Butch Harmon Cuts Ties with John Daly
The announcement that came on Tuesday from Harmon, however - the announcement that he was fed up with Daly and was cutting ties - probably surprised very few. Why did Harmon dump Daly? The famed instructor didn't mince words, telling the Associated Press:
"My whole goal for him was he's got to show me golf is the most important thing in his life. And the most important thing in his life is getting drunk."
It's been a downward spiral for Daly's golf game the past few years, culminating in the loss of his PGA Tour card following a 2007 season in which he had six withdrawals, 10 missed cuts and finished 188th on the money list. There were several tournaments in which he clearly gave up on rounds. And there were the off-course problems - drinking, gambling - topped by the infamous incident in which Daly's wife accused him of sexual assault and he accused her of attacking him with a steak knife (both later recanted).
Harmon agreed during the offseason to work with Daly on the promise that Daly would straighten up and dedicate himself fully to golf. But that doesn't seem to have happened. There were reports earlier this year of several days of partying by Daly during the Bob Hope Desert Classic. And the straw that apparently broke Harmon's back occurred at the Pods Championship last week, when Daly spent a weather delay in the Hooters corporate tent, emerged with Tampa Bay Bucs coach Jon Gruden as his caddie, posted lackadaisical scores of 77 and 80, and headed back to the Hooters tent for more carousing.
"You don't see guys who are any good doing that," Harmon said of Daly's behavior at the Pods, adding:
"All the guys I work with are working their (tails) off. John didn't have it. I like the kid, but he's got to get his head on straight. The partying and other shenanigans, if that's the way he wants to be, I don't choose to be a part of it."
Update: Daly was disqualified from the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Wednesday after failing to show up for this pro-am pairing due to a misunderstanding on tee times.
See also:
- On the wire: Swing coach dumps Daly for "shenanigans"
- John Daly bio
Comments
Big John obivously needs some form of help. It is shameful to see our profession turn its back on him and his talent. No one in professional golf is sucessful on their own.
“Shameful to see our profession turn it back on him?!” Are you kidding me?! What about shameful he can’t be disciplined enough to get himself help?! He is a grown man and he knows he has problem, based on his book. I think he needs to pull his head out and attempt to take the blame for his situation.