John Daly

Daly, in a commentary in Sports Illustrated in March, 2001, wrote about feelings of abandonment. "I'm the Tour's forgotten man—not by the fans, who have been awesome although I've had five rough years—but by the sponsors and some of the players I considered friends. From 1991 to 1998 they begged me to play in their off-season events. Now they don't want anything to do with me."

Daly rebounded with an upbeat 2001, finishing 66th in money winnings on the Tour. He also wed Sherrie Miller that summer, his fourth marriage. In addition, he founded his own business, John Daly Enterprises. Playing in a tournament in the Australian PGA Championship in November 2002, shortly after his mother died, Daly was disqualified after he threw his putter into the lake and did not sign his scorecard.

Despite Daly's problems, Golf Weekly writer Lance Cagle says no golfer is more loved. "Not Tiger [Woods], not Greg Norman, and certainly not one of the countless Orlando/Phoenix robots with their perfect swings and perfect portfolios," Cagle wrote. "When fans look at Daly, we see both the talent we wish we had and the insecurities that we cannot shake.… Here's hoping John Daly's movie ends the way Rocky Balboa's did. Here's hoping John Daly is well enough to deal with it."