A Nasty Dear John Letter

Filed in archive Golf News on June 9, 2007

Courtesy: AP

The eyes of the entertainment world and, sadly, much of the rest of the world as well, were fixed firmly on a Los Angeles County courthouse on Friday as Paris Hilton was ordered to serve the balance of her 45 day jail sentence actually in jail.

Her lawyers had successfully but temporarily argued that being behind bars would exacerbate an undisclosed medical condition (later diagnosed as Silver Spoon Syndrome).

The fact that someone with absolutely no talent for anything except for a role in a pornographic web video can command such worldwide attention is a testament to the general public's hunger for juicy gossip.

So imagine what the story line around John Daly was yesterday when he stepped onto the tee for the second round of the St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tennessee.

A series of vertical and painful looking scratch marks covered the left cheek of his face.

He was attacked, he says, by his wife on Thursday night while he slept. Attacked with a steak knife, no less.

He's lucky that his wife doesn't know who Lorena Bobbitt is.

This latest incident in the roller coaster ride that is John Daly's life was forced well into the background by Paris Hilton. A drinkin', smokin' gamblin' golfer can never match a hotel heiress with a massive Narcissus complex.

But, Paris aside (please), John Daly's life is just about as crazy. His fourth wife was the one responsible for redecorating his face.

She's also the one who served five months in prison last year for her role in a drug ring and illegal gambling operation that included her parents.

Daly was shattered when she went to jail (without screaming about it, Paris, and for six months - not a mere 6 weeks and 3 days) but within a few weeks of her release, she and Daly filed for divorce.

Apparently, the divorce never went further than that first step. Maybe it should have.

Certainly the marriage is no better for staying together. But it's probably no worse, either.

Unfortunately, there are children caught in the middle of it all.

Many will say that John seems to ride smoothly over the big waves in his life, always wearing a sunny smile. But does he?

In 2006, he played 21 events on the PGA tour; he had one top-25 finish. He made 8 cuts and withdrew from 5 more.

This year, he's played 11 tournaments so far, excluding the St. Jude; he's made 3 cuts and has only one top-25 finish. He's withdrawn from 3 tournaments and he's playing this season under a limited medical exemption for a finger injury along with whatever sponsor exemptions he can take advantage of.

He lost his tour card last year.

This is not the storyline of a guy who sails through troubled waters unscathed.

And it's a sad story because there is a lot of goodness and a lot of golf talent in John Daly. There's just way too much naiveté and lack of self-discipline.

But I'd take his values over Paris Hilton's in a New York minute.