'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
John Daly has had quite a golf career. He turned pro in 1987 and has remarkably remained a member of the PGA Tour until today.
He's never been ranked higher than 23 in the world rankings, but he does have a couple of major wins and the longevity he has displayed is almost unmatched.
That longevity is even more impressive when considering the kind of lifestyle Daly led. He was known for an unorthodox appearance and attitude for golfers, and that extended into his diet.
He is infamous for having one of the worst diets in professional sports. He opened up about that a few years ago in an interview with Graham Bensinger.
He revealed just how bad it was:
"I started smoking at 19. I smoked for almost 29 years. I smoked about the same as a book- two packs, two and a half packs a day. But at that time I had started smoking that much. Before that, I was only smoking maybe a pack, pack and a half."
He continued, adding that liquid consumption was a big problem, too. Bensinger and Daly estimated that the golfer drank over 500 gallons of Diet Coke a year:
"I used to drink anywhere from 12 to 20 Diet Cokes a day. I went to McDonald's three, four times a day. They always had the best fountain drink, Diet Coke."
To compound the issue, Daly revealed that he hated water, which drove him to consume other, less beneficial forms of hydration:
"I don't know, cause I don't drink water. I hate water. I cannot stand to drink water... Some of the guys call me camel cause I don't drink water. I never drink water on tour."
He revealed that he could easily consume two Big Macs, three cheeseburgers, and a Coke in one sitting at McDonald's.
While it's impressive that Daly was able to maintain this diet and have any form of athletic ability, it's perhaps even more impressive that he ate this way for years and isn't dead or suffering from serious health complications.
John Daly's impressive golf career
Debuting in 1987, Daly has had one of the longest golf careers in recent memory. He has a total of 19 professional wins, broken down here by event:
- PGA Tour 5
- European Tour 3
- Asian Tour 1
- Sunshine Tour 2
- Korn Ferry Tour 1
- PGA Tour Champions 1
- Other 8
His last PGA Tour victory came back in 2004, but that hasn't stopped him from competing today.
He never won the Masters, but he did place third in 1993, his best finish at the event. He won the PGA Championship in 1991, the same year he was named the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. He also won the Open Championship in 1995.
The golfer was also named the 2004 Comeback Player of the Year. He is the only golfer from Europe or the United States to win two major golf championships and not be selected for the Ryder Cup, an impressively unfortunate label.
