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John Daly: My Life in and out of the Rough
The 1995 Open Champion and legendary wild man of golf recalls the best and worst of his his inspirational play on both US and European tours; the demons that afflicted him on the course and his addiction to gambling and drink; and the trashed hotel rooms and spectacular marital problems.John Daly took professional golf by storm when he came out of nowhere to win the 1991 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick in Indiana. A big hitter, Daly quickly became a favourite with PGA crowds for his long drives and no-frills philosophy of ‘grip it and rip it.’ Almost as quickly he became a controversial figure thanks to his on-course fits of temper and off-course bouts of drinking and gambling.He won the Open Championship in 1995 at St Andrews, then suffered through six years of poor play and personal turmoil before winning the BMW International Open in Munich in September 2001. In February 2004 he returned to the winner's circle on the PGA Tour, winning the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines.Daly has been married four times, and his spectacular marriage bust-ups have attracted endless media headlines. His fourth wife, Sherrie, and her parents were indicted on federal drug and gambling charges in 2003; they were accused of selling cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines from 1996 to 2002 and of laundering the proceeds through local banks. She has only recently been released from a federal penitentiary to return to the family home.Daly talks openly in his book about his controversial private life, the tantrums, the additictions to drink, gambling and women, and reflects on a new course in life in this richly entertaining read.
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First published May 8, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
May 27, 2012
Once I adjusted to the sixth-grade writing level, this was a pretty enjoyable book. It amazed me to see such a huge amount of denial in one sentence, to be followed by gut level honesty. As a golfer and lover of the sport, there was always a level of intrigue concerning Daly's incredible talent and his embarrassing fall from grace- I can say after reading this brought new light to the man but didn't necessarily change any opinions.
November 16, 2025
Had this on my want to read list for a while. John Daly is hilarious and writes like a 5th grader who knows how to cuss. It was interesting to learn more about his life and problems behind what the media portrayed him to be. He wrote this book in 2005 and compared the second 40 years of his life (he was 40 when he wrote this) to the back 9 which I liked. His story about winning the PGA championship as the 9th alternate is insane too.
November 23, 2019
This book is a masterclass example of the art of denial.
He gives us long passages about how he is a textbook alcoholic. Then he repeatedly says he was never an alcoholic. I'm not really sure he understands what 'alchoholic' means. He gives us long passages about how he is clearly depressed and dealing with a great deal of mental turmoil and trauma, which he medicates with alcohol. Then he says he was never depressed. He gives us horrifying tales of destroying homes and hotel rooms in the presence of his wives and then somehow doesn't recognize this as incredibly abusive and claims he is not an abuser.
Classic addict behaviour. You don't have to change what you don't acknowledge.
He also reveals that he grew up in a physically and mentally abusive home from which the golf course was his only shelter...but he never recognizes that his father (and mother's) behaviour was abuse. Further he was abused by his coach when he was at Arkansas State, and he doesn't seem to understand how much this may have affected his development.
Daly is definitely not a writer. His prose are simple and rambling and repetitive at times. The simplicity, however, makes it a quick read, which is a blessing.
Ultimately, this is the story of mediocre white man who is repeatedly bailed out by those around him so that he never actually has to face consequences or do the hard work to understand how he finds himself in these situations over and over again.
Reading the biography thirteen years later also gives us the hindsight of knowing that his wife, Sherrie, who he is with at the time this book was written, did eventually divorce him and publish a tell-all about his emotional and physical abuse. We also know that Daly is a proud MAGA-boi now, so that's cool. I guess he cares about politics after all. #eyeroll
He gives us long passages about how he is a textbook alcoholic. Then he repeatedly says he was never an alcoholic. I'm not really sure he understands what 'alchoholic' means. He gives us long passages about how he is clearly depressed and dealing with a great deal of mental turmoil and trauma, which he medicates with alcohol. Then he says he was never depressed. He gives us horrifying tales of destroying homes and hotel rooms in the presence of his wives and then somehow doesn't recognize this as incredibly abusive and claims he is not an abuser.
Classic addict behaviour. You don't have to change what you don't acknowledge.
He also reveals that he grew up in a physically and mentally abusive home from which the golf course was his only shelter...but he never recognizes that his father (and mother's) behaviour was abuse. Further he was abused by his coach when he was at Arkansas State, and he doesn't seem to understand how much this may have affected his development.
Daly is definitely not a writer. His prose are simple and rambling and repetitive at times. The simplicity, however, makes it a quick read, which is a blessing.
Ultimately, this is the story of mediocre white man who is repeatedly bailed out by those around him so that he never actually has to face consequences or do the hard work to understand how he finds himself in these situations over and over again.
Reading the biography thirteen years later also gives us the hindsight of knowing that his wife, Sherrie, who he is with at the time this book was written, did eventually divorce him and publish a tell-all about his emotional and physical abuse. We also know that Daly is a proud MAGA-boi now, so that's cool. I guess he cares about politics after all. #eyeroll
October 29, 2017
I have read many golf books and this is by far the most erratic. Just not properly constructed.
I am sure that John is a likeable character fighting many demons but this account does him little credit. It's old now, let's all hope he has moved on.
I am sure that John is a likeable character fighting many demons but this account does him little credit. It's old now, let's all hope he has moved on.
July 26, 2011
Not good. Not good at all. An easy read. But not good.
December 16, 2011
I read this book. It wasn't good. I'll quote from another review on here that summed it up quite nicely: "He writes like he golfs".
May 25, 2024
First things first I'm going to say this. This book has some structural issues yes, the flow isn't great and it runs on at points. But that's exactly what I expected from John Daly. The book itself is highly entertaining and interesting as Daly recounts the most important and influential moments of his golf journey. Daly talks about the highs of his wins at the PGA championship, the Open championship and the birth of his children to the lows of his alcohol addiction, his multiple trips to rehab, his domestic abuse rumor, his issues with depression and antidepressants and his three ex wives and his current wife at the time of release who happened to be in jail at the time for money laundering (now former). At the end of the day I found this book really interesting, I always thought Daly was an interesting character, I love his personality and I think that really shined in this book. I read the whole book in a day and found it a super easy, light and fast read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2019
An eye opening look into the life of Golfs infamous bad boy.
May 16, 2013
Well...the ending is a little like the way I felt about Tebow's: blah. The most interesting things (for John Daly, the partying, for Tee-Bop, the not-football-game-monotonous-rehashing) came up front. They hooked you in and then let the ball drop like a pass in the endzone, like a drive into a deep bunker. What a letdown. Daly was at his most honest when it was really him writing, before his editor stepped in and said, "um, maybe you should put in something that shows what you've learned from all these experiences." So he goes through it - the women, the drinking, the rehab, the gambling. I don't see John Daly as a dynamic character - the truth is, he is what he is, and that's what shows up the first half of the book. The second half doesn't ring true, first of all, because it's lacking all the f-bombs, and second of all, because he's not telling stories. He's looking forward, and he doesn't have much to say. The dude is going to keeping going out to drink, to gamble, and to play golf. That's not going to change, and it seemed like his editor tried to fool the readers into thinking Daly was trying, and that gimmick didn't work.
February 19, 2022
Glad for the opportunity to get to know more about John Daly, but it just makes me wonder what could have been should he have decided to practice more than party. To his credit, he owns his decisions.
September 9, 2009
He writes like he plays golf.
April 12, 2023
BEING INSIDE THE GOLF COURSE, INSIDE THOSE ROPES OF THE TOURNAMENT, CLEARING MY HEAD AND FOCUSSING ON ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY - THE SHOT I WANT TO HIT - THATS ABOUT THE ONLY TIME AND PLACE I FEEL AT PEACE.
I wasn't thinking consciously about winning or losing the tournament. I was just thinking about going out there and playing golf. I was staying in the moment.
At rehab they call it cross-addiction. They warn you that when you give up one thing, like whiskey, you are going to be looking to replace it with something else. They say you go from one addiction to another. When i stopped drinking I started eating more chocolate and gambling more.
I am an impulse guy. I do things on how i feel, then think things through later.
JD lost $55m over the 15 years prior to 2006 at casinos.
I like slots better than blackjack because of the solitude.
I wasn't thinking consciously about winning or losing the tournament. I was just thinking about going out there and playing golf. I was staying in the moment.
At rehab they call it cross-addiction. They warn you that when you give up one thing, like whiskey, you are going to be looking to replace it with something else. They say you go from one addiction to another. When i stopped drinking I started eating more chocolate and gambling more.
I am an impulse guy. I do things on how i feel, then think things through later.
JD lost $55m over the 15 years prior to 2006 at casinos.
I like slots better than blackjack because of the solitude.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2021
Entertaining enough for an audible book with time in a car or working on some home improvement projects. I picked it up because some friends said it was funny, but nothing really stood out to me as laugh out loud. The line that stuck out to me the most is when Tiger Woods, on his way to the gym while John was inviting him to relax and drink beer with him, replied to Mr. Daly that if Tiger had the talent that John Daly did, Tiger wouldn't need to work as hard as he does. The other thing that stood out to me is how much money is wrapped up in golf, I knew it was a lot, but I really had no idea how much.
A story of hope and self sabotage, this is an athletically gifted, wealthy man, who goes in circles rationalizing his drinking and gambling issues.
A story of hope and self sabotage, this is an athletically gifted, wealthy man, who goes in circles rationalizing his drinking and gambling issues.
April 30, 2025
Honestly an interesting and entertaining story of a golf icon. This is Daly unfiltered.
But on another note his strong opinions and unhealthy habits make this a frustrating read because he is so set to his ways and unwilling to change. He almost brags about how much money he lost gambling and then goes on to admit it ruins his life, but never truly seeks help and just keeps doing it. And his denial of alcoholism despite being hospitalized for alcohol poisoning 4 times; and following that up saying the amount he’d drink in a day would get some people drunk over 2 months. Yeah okay. Same thing with his 4 divorcees, another persistent cycle of infatuation and ignoring the advice of others.
Learned a lot about him but what you hear in the media pretty much checks out.
But on another note his strong opinions and unhealthy habits make this a frustrating read because he is so set to his ways and unwilling to change. He almost brags about how much money he lost gambling and then goes on to admit it ruins his life, but never truly seeks help and just keeps doing it. And his denial of alcoholism despite being hospitalized for alcohol poisoning 4 times; and following that up saying the amount he’d drink in a day would get some people drunk over 2 months. Yeah okay. Same thing with his 4 divorcees, another persistent cycle of infatuation and ignoring the advice of others.
Learned a lot about him but what you hear in the media pretty much checks out.
May 16, 2025
This book lacks anything interesting about John and is limited in talking about his actual golf experiences. It’s basically a list of his likes/dislikes, and how anyone who tries to help him is wrong.
“I’m not depressed, I just have an anger problem”. “I’m not an alcoholic, I just love drinking”. “I don’t drink anymore, just beer”. All before and after a story about his friend telling him he was talking about killing himself while he was blacked out. Lots of opportunity to talk about real things and reflect, when he just sounds like some old drunk at a dive bar telling war stories.
The longest chapter is just a Q&A about his favourite movies, food, etc.
This was a waste of time and a disappointing read.
“I’m not depressed, I just have an anger problem”. “I’m not an alcoholic, I just love drinking”. “I don’t drink anymore, just beer”. All before and after a story about his friend telling him he was talking about killing himself while he was blacked out. Lots of opportunity to talk about real things and reflect, when he just sounds like some old drunk at a dive bar telling war stories.
The longest chapter is just a Q&A about his favourite movies, food, etc.
This was a waste of time and a disappointing read.
July 31, 2019
I'd expect nothing less from big JD, than what this easy-to-read bio contained. A basic, undetailed, unsurprising, no-punches-pulled account of his life so far.
It's also not at all surprising how much he's liked by his fans, the general paying public AND his fellow pros.
A real old school "character" playing a sport almost completely bereft of similar characters and instead full of cardboard cut-out gym bunnies. Zzzzzzzzz.
Thoroughly recommended book to while away an hour or two.
Ooooo! Pig! Sooooie!
It's also not at all surprising how much he's liked by his fans, the general paying public AND his fellow pros.
A real old school "character" playing a sport almost completely bereft of similar characters and instead full of cardboard cut-out gym bunnies. Zzzzzzzzz.
Thoroughly recommended book to while away an hour or two.
Ooooo! Pig! Sooooie!
July 20, 2022
Hmmmmmm.
I give it a 3 because I like the author as a golfer and he is able to tell his side of his story rather than what you see in the news and the media ... remember how media skews everything into their own narrative?
However, this book is extremely repetitive.
I love women.
Whiskey will kill me if I ever drink it again.
I love gambling.
Diet Coke is life.
etc...
The man was born with some athletic talent and I'm glad he chose golf to dive into.
He gave the PGA tour something different and paved the way for some others.
I give it a 3 because I like the author as a golfer and he is able to tell his side of his story rather than what you see in the news and the media ... remember how media skews everything into their own narrative?
However, this book is extremely repetitive.
I love women.
Whiskey will kill me if I ever drink it again.
I love gambling.
Diet Coke is life.
etc...
The man was born with some athletic talent and I'm glad he chose golf to dive into.
He gave the PGA tour something different and paved the way for some others.
Read
February 25, 2024I’m not done with the book, but was interesting to read first two reviews and get support for the unfortunate lack of insight and perspective about his own childhood and subsequent behavior that caused so much difficulty in his life. Purchased this book for Colin, as he was curious about him, but think we’re both struggling to finish it. Now hopefully can focus on reading from Colin’s book… as have to return it after two renewals from melcat, may be interested in reading his third wife’s book perhaps….after I get through this one… almost 1/2 way there
August 1, 2024
Pretty fun to read. It's exactly what you expect. Probably doesn't deserve three stars but it kept my attention enough to read it in one sitting for whatever reason.
More like John Daly's personal diary than an autobiography.
Most of the book revolves around his idea that if he stops drinking he will gamble more, so he shouldn't stop drinking. (Love that for you John)
The book also goes through his three failed marriages and how he finally found "the one". The book was published in 2006. Mrs. John Daly IV filed for divorce in January of 2007 according to Google.
More like John Daly's personal diary than an autobiography.
Most of the book revolves around his idea that if he stops drinking he will gamble more, so he shouldn't stop drinking. (Love that for you John)
The book also goes through his three failed marriages and how he finally found "the one". The book was published in 2006. Mrs. John Daly IV filed for divorce in January of 2007 according to Google.
November 26, 2018
Semi repetitive book but good nonetheless. Got drunk, played golf, won tournaments, got drunk, lost tournaments, went to rehab, divorce, got sober, won tournaments, got married, got divorced, rehab again, etc.
With that being said, it's still a decent read especially if you're a Daly fan looking for some details of his life behind the scenes.
With that being said, it's still a decent read especially if you're a Daly fan looking for some details of his life behind the scenes.
January 16, 2019
Is it really 5 Stars as a story? No, but it's a solid 4. I'm giving it 5 Stars (but not Favorites) because of his honesty, and because this is one of those stories that will stick in my mind for a very long time. Even some great books won't do that. This is a real human being who is misunderstood by many and he's completely upfront. I respect that a ton.
January 7, 2021
Left me feeling that JD provided a fairly honest view of his life. I say that, as he talked about a lot of personal flaws, that must have been quite difficult to address. I have a lot of empathy for the man, as he must have some serious demons to deal with. He left me hoping that the "back nine" will be much smoother than the front.
July 14, 2023
It’s a short book and to the point. You can’t help but feel sorry for the guy as he’s constantly getting in his own way. It’s a fine book but nothing revelational. Some of the numbers about how much the guy eats, drinks and gambles are mind boggling. It’s nice to know he’s at a place in his life where things are going well for him.
October 2, 2023
If you know the stories about John Daly you don’t really need to read the book. Nothing is revealed I hadn’t heard before I read this. It’s meandering and repetitive and devotes a lot of attention to things that aren’t all that interesting. But the stories of his childhood and making it onto the tour were really great.
July 15, 2022
I love how you could tell this was all John. The book reads exactly like how’d you expect Daly to recollect at a bar. Having always been a fan of Daly I was happy this autobiography was seemingly just as authentic as he is.
April 14, 2024
I’m not a big golf fan but I like books about interesting characters and Daly is that most certainly.Unfortunately this book is just a little dull ,Daly is a likeable person but this book is hard work.
July 16, 2024
I like hearing about John Daly’s life and how he got to where he is. Towards the end of the book it gets pretty repetitive with a handful of the same jokes and phrases and even stories being repeated, but overall would recommend because John Daly is a legend. GRIP IT AND RIP IT.
February 2, 2025
If you like roller coasters, this one's for you: the insane drinking, the disturbing gambling addiction and the parade of marriages are just part of this wild ride.
Lightweight reading, but entertaining for fans of the game.
Lightweight reading, but entertaining for fans of the game.
October 20, 2025
First 150 pages are very enlightening on John's upbringing and great insight on one of the most unique minds in the golf world. The last 50 pages you can skip - it's all fodder to make a longer book.
February 19, 2018
John Daly is my spirit animal.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews