Remembering John Daly's epic Pinehurst No. 2 meltdown

What’s the first factor that involves thoughts whenever you consider John Daly?

It may very well be the way in which he crushes the golf ball off the tee. Or perhaps his laid-back persona — he’s all the time unapologetically accomplished issues his personal approach.

No matter what you consider whenever you hear Daly’s identify, within the greater than 30 years he’s been in professional golf, the now 58-year-old professional has offered some unforgettable moments. One in all them, you may recall, got here at a Pinehurst U.S. Open.

And because the 124th U.S. Open begins at this time on Pinehurst No. 2, we thought it will be a very good time to revisit. Cue the disastrous meltdown on the 1999 U.S. Open.

Heading into the 1999 U.S. Open, Daly was struggling. Whereas he had two T20 finishes on the season prior to the tournament, he had missed the lower in every of the earlier three occasions main as much as the foremost. Expectations have been low, however after Daly’s opening-round 68, his identify was atop the leaderboard.

The momentum didn’t carry over to the next three rounds, nevertheless, as Daly went on to shoot 77-81-83 to complete 29 over (68th place). And it was throughout that remaining spherical when he gave us one in all golf’s most memorable meltdowns.

Along with his ball resting on the backside of a hill behind the inexperienced on the par-4 eighth gap, Daly hit a putt towards the troublesome pin placement, but it surely didn’t clear the crown of the hill and rolled again to him. On his second try, Daly hit his ball up the hill, but it surely didn’t maintain, sending it trickling down once more.

Fuming, Daly walked as much as the transferring ball, swung his putter at it, and simply fully misplaced it. He smacked his ball throughout the inexperienced and again into the green — incomes himself a two-stroke penalty.

He finally chipped on and two-putted, ending the outlet with a whopping 11.

In true Daly style, when requested about it afterwards, he claimed it was out of protest towards the USGA’s pin placements, saying a lot of them have been too troublesome given the treacherous greens at Pinehurst No. 2.

“Yeah, it was irritating and I misplaced my endurance,” he informed NBC-TV after signing his scorecard (per ESPN.com). “However they’ve too many unfair pins. It’s irritating.”

However Daly didn’t simply voice his displeasure with the pins, he additionally vowed to keep away from future U.S. Opens as a result of it didn’t match his model of golf.

“The U.S. Open isn’t John Daly’s model of golf. I’m not going to Pebble Seashore (the place the U.S. Open will likely be held) subsequent 12 months and watch the USGA damage that golf course, too,” he stated. “It’s not price it. That is my final U.S. Open — ever. I’ve had it with the USGA and the way in which they run their tournaments. The USGA likes to embarrass guys who play of their tournaments.”

Daly finally backtracked on his feedback, whereas additionally apologizing for his outburst — and did play within the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Seashore. Though he additionally blew up there too, capturing an opening-round 83 and abruptly withdrew from the event.

With Pinehurst No. 2 as soon as once more internet hosting this 12 months’s U.S. Open — and with a quick and agency take a look at forward — we might see some craziness on a few of these greens over the following few days. And whereas Daly isn’t collaborating this 12 months, it’s ironic that his last-ever U.S. Open (2005) got here from the identical spot the place he offered a reminiscence that’ll endlessly reside on — Pinehurst No. 2.

You’ll be able to watch Daly’s interpretation of his meltdown within the video under, through Pinehurst’s YouTube channel.

Nick Dimengo

Golf.com Editor