John Daly turned 50 in April, making him eligible for the PGA’s senior circuit, also known as the Champions Tour. No longer does the colorful two-time major winner have to rely on sponsors’ exemptions to compete. He has a set schedule for the first time in years. Tournaments are only three rounds, not four. Best of all, Daly, who has smoked since he was in college, is able to use a cart. "My God," he says. "It's like a dream come true, to be honest with you."
John Daly, in case you're not familiar, is not like other golfers. He still drinks (everything from vodka to cheap beer), he still gambles (the slots), and he still smokes cigarettes (yes, he should probably be dead by now). Ever since his improbable breakout win at the 1991 PGA Championship, Daly has been an inspiration for Americans who felt excluded by a game most commonly associated with blue-blooded hedge funders in Polo sweaters. Daly was folksy, brash and sported a blond mullet that would have probably got him kicked out of most of the courses he played as a professional. But John Daly, Inspirational Figure, was hamstrung by a wicked drinking habit, one that resulted in multiple suspensions and trips to rehab. He's had as tumultuous a career in professional sports as anyone, one that is chronicled in heartbreaking detail in the new ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Hit It Hard, which premieres Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.
