John Daly wins first Champions Tour event at 2017 Insperity Invitational
John Daly held on to win the 2017 Insperity Invitational, his first win since 2004
John Daly is one of the most interesting figures in the game of golf. The Daly legend began when he won the 1991 PGA Championship as the last player in the field. His “grip it and rip it” style of play brought in legions of blue collar fans.
Daly has never shied away from his personal demons, and that made his win at the 2017 Insperity Invitational that much more entertaining.
Daly, 51, has never lacked in the talent department. He’s bounced around the PGA and European Tours for over a decade now, mostly on sponsor’s exemptions and past champion status. Every once in a while, he’ll show up and compete, like he did in 2015, when he popped a top-ten finish at the Puerto Rico Open. Unfortunately, those spots are few and far between.
However, when Daly became eligible for the Champions Tour in 2016, he seemed to dive in head first. He made his debut at last year’s Insperity Invitational, finishing tied for 17th. While Daly still maintains his up-and-down nature, he seems to have that competitive fire burning as bright as ever.
Daly won – and celebrated – like only John Daly can
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Considering his history, this past weekend was peak John Daly. One year into his Champions Tour journey, Daly held the 36-hole lead at The Woodlands Country Club, and appeared set to cruise to victory. Clad in his LoudMouth brand American flag pants, he carried a two-shot lead into the final three holes.
Most players would be conservative here. John Daly is not most players. Loose drives led to three straight bogeys to finish, but Kenny Perry and Tommy Armour III couldn’t take advantage of Daly’s errors.
What happened at the end and after the tournament was exactly what you’d expect, however. On his walk up the 18th fairway, Daly knelt to the ground and kissed the giant umbrella logo, honoring the late Arnold Palmer.
On his way to his first victory since 2004, @PGA_JohnDaly sent a kiss to the late Arnold Palmer: https://t.co/WRSC5lLVjD pic.twitter.com/1m6NowrcNi
— PGA Amateur Golf (@PGAAmateurGolf) May 8, 2017
Then, once the mission was complete, the party started, and it was glorious. John Daly just being John Daly, the only way he knows how.
Living. pic.twitter.com/ZhB2wcppi2
— Kelly Hawkins (@KHawkTDR) May 7, 2017
As it turns out, Daly even has a fan in the Oval Office, as he got a shout-out on Twitter from President Trump on Monday morning.
Congratulations to @PGA_JohnDaly on his big win yesterday. John is a great guy who never gave up - and now a winner again!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2017
Next: Power Rankings: The PLAYERS Championship
Of course, that’s the draw with John Daly. For better or worse, you know that what you get is as pure and honest as it can be. Here’s hoping he can keep this thing going on the Champions Tour level.