Playboy recently published an piece on John Daly. (I probably wouldn’t click on the link at work). It paints an interesting, if not entirely flattering portrait. In the article, Daly talks about his relationship with girlfriend, Ana Cladakis (he claims to either be a nympho or close to it), his monthly expenses (a mere $43k down from $120k), and probably most notably, his problems with gambling and other addictions.
Daly has been through some significant highs and lows in his life, most notably due to his gambling. Fortunately for him, Cladakis seems to have put the kibosh on it, because “[she] hates it”. Of course it probably helps that he doesn’t have millions of dollars to blow through right now either.
It [gambling] felt better than golf because you’re sitting there and you don’t have to work at it. Gambling is adrenaline. You wanna beat the blackjack, you wanna win the slots. You get the adrenaline rush. I absolutely loved it. Bally’s was my favorite until they built the Wynn. That high-limit room? When I walk in there, I get that chill rush.
I was the first one to win the jackpot of $100,000. I won, like, three or four nights in a row, and I’m going, ‘I could never lose.’ Next thing you know, you lose $500,000
Back when I was playing, you could play seven hands at $5,000 and have $35,000 on the table. Sometimes 10. You could have 70 grand sitting up there. You don’t have that chance on a dollar slot or playing $25 at blackjack. I won $400,000 to $500,000 in blackjack sittings.
Of course Daly’s problems weren’t limited to the casino tables:
His first beer came when he was just eight years old, his first Jack and Coke at 14. Then, after a grape-stomping session turned their feet purple, he and his brother Jamie progressed to drinking the homemade wine their dad was making. “It actually tasted pretty good. It tasted almost like Kool-Aid. That’s why we each drank two jars. Man, were our heads spinning,” he recalls with a laugh.
Daly remains a controversial figure in golf. There are a number of people who can’t stand him and just want him to go away. Others (probably a majority) just like the guy, recognize a bit of themselves in his problems, and just want to see him succeed.
When Daly shows up at a tournament, he’s one of the biggest draws outside of marquee players like Tiger and Phil. For all of his faults, Daly understands the value of fan interaction and virtually never says no to an autograph.
The article is an interesting read and while it isn’t going to change anybody’s opinion on Daly, it provides a glimpse inside the life of one of the most unique figures in golf.
Playboy (you probably shouldn’t click this one at work)
