# John Daly Has Meltdown **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 10, 2011, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-daly-has-meltdown/602495 "2011-11-10T10:04:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-daly-has-meltdown/602495/1 "2011-11-10T10:04:27Z")
I know that will be a shock. I don’t normally follow golf, but there is some tournament over here at the moment. Tiger Woods and Adam Scott are playing along with a host of others (I am guessing my invite got lost). Anyway, back to the title. On one of the holes Daly hit seven balls into the water (par 5) and stormed off the course back to his hotel with his new girlfriend. The organisers say he won’t be invited back. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-daly-has-meltdown/602495/2 "2011-11-10T13:02:35Z")
Hey, anyone see that big yellow ball of fire in the sky this morning? ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-daly-has-meltdown/602495/3 "2011-11-10T13:03:50Z")
Sort of like that isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-daly-has-meltdown/602495/4 "2011-11-10T13:47:58Z")
For a minute I thought this was a zombie thread from 10 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-daly-has-meltdown/602495/5 "2011-11-10T15:19:52Z")
Dude, he ran out of balls. What the hell did you expect the guy to do? > **[Daly quits in first round, called 'unprofessional'](https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/7214927/john-daly-called-unprofessional-walking-off)** > > John Daly drew the ire of a tournament official who described his behavior as "unprofessional'' after the two-time major champion quit and walked off the course. > [@](#): > > Daly took to his Twitter account afterward and said: "when u run out of balls u run out of balls.‘’ ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-daly-has-meltdown/602495/6 "2011-11-11T09:53:50Z")
This guy still around? I don’t think he’s even been in the rankings for years. Apparently, it’s legal to buy new golf balls during a round, so he could’ve kept going if he wanted to. Agree, though, that seven plunks is pretty deep into “head against brick wall” territory. Could’ve handled the exit with a lot more class, but I admit that would’ve been a challenge for most golfers, much less a loose cannon like Daly. Seriously, big guy, go on a book tour. Go on a speaking tour. Hit the talk show circuit. Make a deal with a fitness club. Anything besides playing golf. This game don’t love you no more. Just accept it. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-daly-has-meltdown/602495/7 "2011-11-11T13:23:12Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > Apparently, it’s legal to buy new golf balls during a round, so he could’ve kept going if he wanted to. Cite? I know _I_ could go into the pro shop and buy some, but I believe the rule in tournament play is that you have to finish the round with what’s in your bag. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-daly-has-meltdown/602495/8 "2011-11-11T16:18:53Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Cite? I know _I_ could go into the pro shop and buy some, but I believe the rule in tournament play is that you have to finish the round with what’s in your bag. [USGA Rules Decision 5-1/5](http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Decision-05/#5-1/5) states: > [@](#): > > Q. During a stipulated round, a player runs out of balls. May he borrow one or more balls from another player? > > A. Yes. Rule 4-4a prohibits a player from borrowing a club from another player playing on the course but the Rules do not prevent a player from borrowing other items of equipment (balls, towels, gloves, tees, etc.) from another player or an outside agency. > > If the “One Ball” Condition in Appendix I is in effect, the player would need to obtain the same brand and type of ball as required by that condition. If you can borrow balls from another player, I’d think you could buy balls from the pro shop. (And upon reading the Decision closer, they do mention that an outside agency is o.k. too.) ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-daly-has-meltdown/602495/9 "2011-11-11T16:54:49Z")
The last shot into the water missed dry land by 40+ yards. He was pissed that that he played a wrong ball out of a bunker and got penalized (recent rule change) on the previous hole. Once he dumped a ball in the drink on the next hole, IMO, he wanted off that golf course and intentionally dumped his remaining golf balls in the water. Unlike PGAT events, the Australian Open can pay players to play its event. Tiger is allegedly getting $3 Million to play, give clinics, do some promotion, etc. John Daly is certainly not getting that kind of coinage but I wouldn’t be surprised if he received some inducement. Expenses + 25K maybe? Like him or not, Daly is a needle mover, and he does have a following. People cannot resist train-wrecks. If he got paid to play, he is probably in breach of contract. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-daly-has-meltdown/602495/10 "2011-11-11T17:09:48Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Like him or not, Daly is a needle mover, and he does have a following. People cannot resist train-wrecks. Indeed. When he plays a tournament, he does draw a crowd (though, to what extent they’re actual fans, rather than just waiting to see something crazy or outrageous, like this, is debatable). He’s a larger-than-life personality, and has no filters at all, which surely does draw some fans. And, every once in a while, he does pull his act together and play a very good round or two, so he does still have talent. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-daly-has-meltdown/602495/11 "2011-11-11T20:59:36Z")
He is ranked 666th? That seems oddly fitting.