Pro golfer John Daly recently turned 50, which means his time as a PGA Tour presence is probably over. He can now play on the Champions Tour, which is some solace, but as Daly reflected on his career during a press conference before his Champions Tour debut, he seemed rather somber and regretful on the path his once promising career took.
“In the ’90s with the physical ability I had, and if I had the physical ability I have with my mental attitude right now, I’d feel a lot better. But I wish I would have had the mental attitude back in the ’90s like I do now. I think I wasted my talent in the ’90s, especially towards the later part of the ’90s. All the money was coming in, and I didn’t work hard enough at it. I didn’t do the right things to prepare myself to win golf tournaments. You know, that’s definitely on me, and I admit that. But that’s just not the case anymore for me. I’m just kind of a grinder now, but I think my mental attitude is 10 times better than it was in the ’90s.”
One of those mistakes might have been his aborted music career. Or his many issues with gambling. Or his drinking problem. The list goes on and on.
He won two majors in his career, and it’s hard to argue that if it wasn’t for his own actions, he could have won many more. Still, you can’t say he wasn’t always entertaining…
[For the Win/Golf Digest/Daily Mail]
