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John Daly tees off on the 5th hole during the practice round of the 2012 British Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club. He made the cut but failed to contend as Ernie Els took the title. Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Happy Open anniversary, John Daly: Former king of the golf world

Originally posted on Arkansas Razorbacks on SI
By Bob Stephens | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 7:48 PM ET

Thirty years ago, the Open Championship was supposed to be about the once and future kings of golf.

Arnold Palmer, long known as "The King," was playing in his final British Open in 1995. Tiger Woods, the heir apparent to the throne, was playing in his first.

But it was John Daly who would wear the crown that week when he once again stunned the sports world with a hard-charging final round and playoff victory at the venerable place where golf was born in the 15th century.

It was Daly — the always popular former Arkansas Razorback -— who grabbed the headlines and the cheers.

With his long, powerful swing and "every man" attitude, Daly once again captured the hearts of golf fans around the globe.

He came from behind on Sunday, then dominated a four-hole playoff to win at historic St. Andrews to hoist the coveted Claret Jug.

When the final round began, Daly trailed Michael Campbell by four shots. He was 5-under and tied for fourth with Ernie Els and two others. Costantino Rocca was two ahead of Daly and Steve Elkington one better.

Sunday was blustery but dry and Daly posted one of the day's better rounds at 1-under 71. His four day total was 67-71-73-71=282.

In the four-hole playoff, Daly opened with a par and buried a long birdie putt to grab a two-shot lead. Rocca found disaster on the famous "Road Hole" 17th when he hit it into face of the deep bunker and took three to get out. Daly parred 17 and 18 to win the playoff by four.

Daly's hefty paycheck was shy of $200,000 by about what he likely spent at a St. Andrews pub that night.

The pub tab is speculation. This is fact: Winning the Open Championship remains one of the most remarkable accomplishments in Arkansas sports history.

It wasn't supposed to be that way. Despite having shocked the golf world with a victory at the 1991 PGA Championship when he got in as the ninth and final alternate, Daly was not a fashionable choice to claim a second major championship.

But Long John had other ideas. While most experts expected figured he couldn't contend, a few recognized the Old Course was a fit for Daly's game.

He was the PGA Tour's longest driver back then and most of his misses, he said, were left which the Old Course politely forgives.

Throw in his exquisite touch on and around the huge greens and Daly always had a chance to score.

Pre-tourney headlines were about Palmer, who helped restore luster to what's known in the U.S. as the British Open back in the 1960s.

Pre-tourney headlines were also about Woods, a rising amateur phenom who'd just completed his freshman season at Stanford.

Pre-tourney headlines were about Greg Norman, then the No. 1 player in the world who would also finish the year atop the rankings. Daly was ranked No. 40 when '95 concluded.

But for a remarkable four days, the "Grip it and rip it" fan favorite from Arkansas once again dominated headlines and captured the imagination of the golfing and sports world.

Daly did it his way, with a Razorback head cover on his driver, that famous "Grip it and rip it" attitude, and one cigarette often followed by another as he toured the course.

Winning the Open Championship is the dream of every pro golfer. To top the field at St. Andrews, the oldest course in the world, made it even sweeter for Daly.

He was able to hoist the prestigious Claret Jug at the Old Course, where golf has been played for 600 years, beginning when players shared the "course" with sheep.

The layout that's played today was designed in 1764 -- a dozen years before a bunch of upstart radicals broke away from Great Britain to form a new country that would become known as the United States.

Daly possessed the same type of swagger displayed by those rebels. He also had a hard-charging style and an unswerving belief in his game built upon a massive backswing that generated tremendous clubhead speed.

What many golf fans didn't realize the week the Open began back in '95 was what lots of Arkansas folks had known for several years: Daly also possessed soft hands and a remarkable touch around the greens.

All of that was on display at St. Andrews for four glorious days three decades ago.

Daly was in the clubhouse with a one-shot lead when Rocca simply needed an up-and-down from just off the 18th green to force a playoff.

Then came two shocking events. First, Rocca muffed his pitch shot, leaving the ball still just off the green in the "Valley of Sin."

As great players do, he recovered mentally and drained a twisting 60-foot putt to shock himself and the crowd. That forced a four-hole playoff.

It was Daly's turn to show mental fortitude. After the botched chip shot by Rocca, he all but celebrated the win in his mind. But a steely attitude and a series of quality shots under pressure delivered the victory.

Sad but true fact: Daly is the only man from either Europe or the United States to win two major golf championships but not be selected for the Ryder Cup since that event began in 1927.

What nobody can take from Daly are the sweet memories of those four days in July of 1995 when he was crowned the Championship Golfer of the Year by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.