AUGUSTA, Ga. — When Augusta National closed to fans due to bad weather on Monday, golf enthusiasts still found a place to celebrate golf history.
Just a mile from Augusta`s famous Magnolia Lane, fans of all kinds waited in the rain. As the saying goes, they`ve all come to experience a slice of Americana.
It`s Masters week in Augusta. Driving east on Washington Road from I-20 towards Augusta National Golf Club, you`re met with a unique tradition.
`COME SEE JOHN DALY TODAY,` advertises a sign outside Hooters. Since 1997, the legendary John Daly, known for his love of peanut M&Ms, Diet Coke, and larger-than-life personality, has been setting up shop here all week. He sells merchandise and takes photos with fans, often with a Marlboro cigarette in hand.
`John Daly is my hero,` declared Bret Bowen, an Augusta local. `He`s the ultimate, most entertaining golfer ever.`
Daly, absent from the Masters since 2006, returns annually, providing a contrast to the formality of Augusta National. Inside the golf club, phones, cameras, and cigarettes are prohibited. Hooters, however, offers a different Augusta experience, allowing fans to connect with a relatable icon in a relaxed setting.
`Enjoy some good food, smoke, sell some stuff,` Daly summarized.
And he sells a lot. Last year, Daly`s team reported sales of around $780,000 on the Hooters patio. This year, they might surpass that, boosted by Monday`s rain and long fan lines. Hats, some featuring Daly`s face or slogans like `grip it and rip it,` sell for $40. Boxes of his `Short Game` cigars, described as having `cinnamon earth and elegant floral notes,` priced at $250 for 20, were sold out by Wednesday morning.
He reigns supreme in the alternative Augusta scene. Rental data indicates average daily rental prices in town surge to $656 during Masters week, compared to $219 the rest of the year. On Friday of last year’s tournament, 292 private jets landed at Augusta Regional Airport. While Daly`s fanbase isn`t primarily billionaires, they are loyal and often bring gifts. Behind his merchandise tables, a box of Vidalia onions, a yearly gift from `Dale from Vidalia,` sat among other presents. A fan from the Midwest also brought Wisconsin cheese.
`My Wisconsin guy always brings the cheese,` Daly mentioned. `I devour the cheese and onions. Vidalia onions are unbeatable, no matter who you are.`
Larry Stelow, another Wisconsinite and retired pet portrait painter, gifted Daly a 16×20 inch acrylic painting of Daly with a dog.
`That is badass,` Daly exclaimed, taking a photo with Stelow.
`All I wanted was a picture with John and the painting,` Stelow said. `It was a special moment for me.`
Daly sells signed golf balls for $10, shirts, photos, and replica pin flags from his 1991 PGA Championship victory for $100. He signs purchased items and poses for photos.
He even fulfilled a dream for Bret Bowen.
`John Daly gave me a cigarette!` Bowen shared.
Daly`s legend began at the 1991 PGA Championship when, as a ninth alternate, the unknown 25-year-old won, having never seen the course before.
Everyday golfers admired his `grip-it-and-rip-it` style. He was the first to average over 300 yards off the tee in 1997 and led the PGA Tour in driving distance 11 times between 1991 and 2002. He also won the 1995 Open Championship at St. Andrews. His style was a shock to the golf world.
Off the course, Daly was more relatable than traditional golf stars. He was known for his mullet, cigarettes, beer, Hooters meals, and casual attitude. On the course, he revolutionized golf fashion.
Rebecca Gaines from Athens, Georgia, has visited Daly at Hooters for five years, admiring his bold style, often featuring neon, skulls, American flags, and paint splatters.
Golf writer Dan Jenkins once joked Daly`s pants at an Open Championship looked like `a Motel 6 shower curtain.`
Gaines disagrees. `I love him because of his clothes,` she said. `It`s what drew me to him.`
Daly`s caddie, Lance Odom, met him on the Champions Tour while caddying for David Duval. Odom, who helps manage Daly`s fan interactions, is amazed by Daly`s popularity, especially compared to other golfers.
`People react to him like it`s their first Disney trip,` Odom said. `Everyone has a story. It`s like being with Michael Jordan; you can`t go anywhere unnoticed.`
Scott Grennell from Hinesville, Georgia, on his lunch break, said, `Growing up, my heroes were Pete Rose and John Daly. Today, I met one.`
Ed Burns, from Liverpool, England, living in Toronto, admires Daly`s everyman appeal in golf. `He changed the game, an ordinary guy winning the Open. He has my respect.`
Jason Gamble and friends, part of a golf WhatsApp group, visited Daly before heading to the Masters. `He`s like your golf buddy, just much better,` Gamble said. Malik Davis from Augusta added, `We appreciate his talent because he makes golf look easy, and he`s a regular guy. He`s who you want in your group.`
For them, Daly is an icon. `John resonates with us. See DBT on my hat? Drunk By the Turn. John`s our mascot. He`s free-spirited, smoking, drinking, and playing golf.`
Pam Duvall, who drove three hours and booked an expensive Airbnb to meet a friend with Masters passes, was left pass-less.
`It was as expensive as you can imagine,` she said. `Unbelievable.`
Her backup plan was Hooters. `We said if we see John Daly and get a photo, it`s worth it. My kids wanted Masters souvenirs, but signed Daly merch will be even better.`
Daly has faced health issues, including bladder cancer in 2020 and numerous surgeries. `I`m more metal than the bionic man,` he joked. `But I keep coming back.`
Daly intends to continue his Hooters tradition as long as he`s welcome. It`s a beneficial partnership, also involving his son, John Daly II, a golfer at the University of Arkansas. `Little John` recently won his first college tournament.
`How cool is that? Birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie, birdie finish to get into a playoff at 1-under,` Daly proudly said.
However, Little John, who has a Hooters NIL deal, won`t be selling merchandise soon. `He`s focusing on golf,` Daly stated.
Daly`s Augusta setup has evolved. Initially, he parked an RV at Hooters, but now operates from the patio. The large tent party is gone as Augusta National expanded parking. But he`s content with his patio setup where fans can eat, smoke, and shop.
`I might not make the Hall of Fame, but I`ll always have the fans,` Daly said. `I love them; we connect. Blue-collar people connect.`
Alexis Davis, a Hooters waitress from Augusta, enjoys Masters week for the diverse fans Daly attracts. `Golf fans bring a different energy. They’re excited for the Masters or sharing their Masters stories afterwards.`
She sees Daly as bridging golf`s fun and formal sides. Even celebrities like Ken Griffey Jr., Matt Damon, and Joey Fatone visit. `You can have both – golf etiquette and fun,` she said.
Another Daly fan, Karson Angell, summed it up: `If you`re at the Masters and not at Hooters after, where are you really?`
