John Daly: Diagnosis, Drinking, Gambling & Tiger Woods

Born: April 28, 1966 ·
Age (2024): 58 ·
PGA Tour Wins: 5 ·
Major Championships: 2

Seven key facts that define John Daly’s career and current situation:

What did John Daly get diagnosed with?

Bladder cancer diagnosis

Daly revealed he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer in September 2020 during the Sanford International golf tournament, according to Sanford Health News (health system covering the event). He said doctors delivered the news bluntly: “It doesn’t look like any stones are in there, but you have bladder cancer.”

• Doctors told Daly the cancer was “one he could beat” (Sanford Health News)
• He underwent surgical removal of the cancer, followed by chemotherapy (Sanford Health News)
• The procedure was described as successful (Golf Channel)
• Daly later said there was about an 85% chance the cancer would return (Sanford Health News)

Recent health update

By 2025, Daly reported he had been in remission from bladder cancer for four years, according to Yahoo Sports (sports news outlet). But that wasn’t the end of his medical troubles. He underwent his 16th surgery in four years due to tangled tendons in his hand.

“They told me there’s about an 85% chance it will come back.”

— John Daly, speaking about bladder cancer recurrence odds (via Sanford Health News)

“It doesn’t look like any stones are in there, but you have bladder cancer.”

— Doctors, as reported by Sanford Health News

The implication: Daly’s health remains a moving target. Despite remission, the high recurrence odds and repeated surgeries show a body that’s been through two decades of punishment — and the medical bills are stacking up alongside the physical toll.

Was John Daly ever sober?

History of alcohol consumption

Daly’s relationship with alcohol has been the stuff of golf legend — and not in a good way. Wikipedia (community encyclopedia) summarizes Daly as having struggled with alcoholism throughout his life and golf career, with reports that he started drinking at around age 8 to 10. He was hospitalized four times for alcohol poisoning between 1989 and 1993.

• Daly has claimed he drank up to 40 beers in a single day
• He was hospitalized multiple times for alcohol poisoning early in his PGA career
• His drinking has been an open topic in interviews for decades

Attempts at sobriety

Daly has cycled through periods of sobriety and relapse. In one widely noted interview, he said he did not regret “falling off the wagon,” according to Golf Channel (sports media). The candor is vintage Daly — no apologies, no excuses, just a raw admission that the fight isn’t over.

Public statements

Daly has been remarkably transparent about his struggles. He told Golf Channel after his cancer diagnosis that he was trying to quit smoking and had cut way back on Diet Coke. But his attitude remains defiant: “I don’t regret falling off the wagon,” he said.

The pattern: Daly’s relationship with substances mirrors his golf game — all-in, no half measures. The relapse admissions are honest, but honesty doesn’t change the medical reality.

What did Tiger Woods say to John Daly?

The famous exchange

The Daly-Woods relationship has a viral backstory. In 2004, Daly invited Woods to have beers with him. Woods declined. The reason? He wanted to lift weights instead, according to FOX Sports (sports broadcaster). CBS Sports (sports news) reported the same story: Woods turned down a beer invitation because he wanted to work out. Daly recalled Woods’ response: “Tiger wanted to lift weights instead of drinking beer.”

Their friendship

The exchange, far from being a slight, became a bonding moment. Daly has spoken with genuine respect about Woods, and the feeling appears mutual. Despite their radically different lifestyles — one disciplined, one chaotic — they share a competitive fire that transcends the tabloid contrasts.

Why this matters: The Woods anecdote is more than a funny story. It reveals the two poles of golf culture. Daly’s path didn’t lead to 15 majors, but it did produce a friendship with the man who won them. For fans, it’s a reminder that respect in sports isn’t always about matching habits.

How much has John Daly lost in gambling?

Estimated losses

Daly has admitted losing what he describes as “tens of millions of dollars” to gambling over his career. He once said he did not know the true cost until much later — a confession that underscores how deep the addiction ran. The losses contributed directly to his well-documented financial struggles.

• Self-reported losses in the tens of millions
• Admitted ignorance of the actual total until after the fact
• Gambling compounded other financial pressures from divorces and legal issues

Impact on finances

Daly’s net worth in 2024 remains unclear, with estimates varying widely. What is clear: the combination of gambling losses, multiple divorces, and a lifestyle that never matched his actual earnings left him in precarious financial shape for much of his post-peak career. He now plays on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, where prize money is smaller but the schedule is lighter.

The trade-off: Daly’s gambling sprees funded a lifestyle, but they also funded a cycle that kept him from building long-term security. For a man who won two majors and could have cashed endorsement deals, the losses represent a parallel career — one played in casinos rather than on fairways.

How old is John Daly?

Early life

John Patrick Daly was born on April 28, 1966, in Carmichael, California. He turned professional in 1987 after playing golf at the University of Arkansas.

PGA career

Daly burst onto the scene in 1991 as the ninth alternate for the PGA Championship and won it — one of the most improbable major victories in golf history. He added The Open Championship in 1995 and finished with 5 PGA Tour wins and 2 major championships.

What this means: Daly’s career arc is a study in contrasts — a player whose talent earned him two of golf’s biggest prizes, but whose personal struggles kept him from the sustained dominance his power game promised.

För en utförligare redogörelse av hans senaste medicinska kamp och väg till nykterhet, se John Dalys hälsouppdatering om blåscancer och nykterhet som går igenom detaljerna kring diagnosen och tillfrisknandet.

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