Hanging with John Daly at the Augusta Hooters

AUGUSTA, Georgia — When Augusta National was forced to close its doors to the public on Monday due to bad weather, golf enthusiasts still found an iconic spot to celebrate golf history.

Just a short distance from the famous Magnolia Lane of Augusta, fans of all ages and backgrounds gathered in the rain, making a pilgrimage to an unexpected location. It`s Masters week in Augusta, but turning off the interstate onto Washington Road towards Augusta National Golf Club, you`re met with a very different kind of tradition.

A sign outside Hooters proclaims, `COME SEE JOHN DALY TODAY.` Since 1997, this larger-than-life golf legend, known for his love of peanut M&Ms and Diet Coke, has set up shop here every Masters week. He sells merchandise and poses for photos with fans, often with a Marlboro cigarette in hand.

“John Daly is my hero,” declared Bret Bowen, a local Augusta resident. “He’s the ultimate, most entertaining golfer ever.”

Despite not playing in the Masters since 2006, Daly returns annually, presenting a striking contrast to the formal atmosphere of the world-renowned golf course nearby. Inside Augusta National, phones, cameras, and certainly cigarettes are prohibited. But at Hooters, you find another side of Augusta, a place where fans can connect with an approachable icon in a relaxed setting.

“Just eating some good food, smoking, selling some stuff,” Daly summarized.

And he does sell a lot of merchandise. Last year, his team reported sales of approximately $780,000 on the Hooters patio. This year, they anticipate exceeding that figure, partly due to Monday’s rain. Lines for his merchandise, including hats featuring his face or slogans like `Grip It and Rip It` at $40 each, remained long throughout the day. Boxes of his `Short Game` cigars, described as having `cinnamon earth and elegant floral notes,` priced at $250, were completely sold out by Wednesday morning.

He truly is the king of an alternative Augusta experience. Data shows that during Masters week, rental prices in the area average $656 per night, a significant jump from the usual $219 for the rest of the year. While many attending the Masters arrive in private jets, Daly`s fans, though perhaps not billionaires, are incredibly loyal and often bring gifts. Behind his merchandise stands, a box of Vidalia onions, a renowned sweet Georgia variety, sat as an annual gift from `Dale from Vidalia` for the past decade. Another fan from the Midwest brought cheese, their state’s famous export.

“My Wisconsin guy always brings the cheese,” Daly mentioned. “I devour that cheese and those onions. Vidalia onions are unbeatable, no matter who you are.”

Larry Stelow, another Wisconsinite and retired pet portrait painter, presented Daly with 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 really special for me.”

Daly sells signed golf balls for $10 (`$1 for the ball, $9 for the signature,` explained a staff member), along with photos, shirts, and replicas of the pin flag from his 1991 PGA Championship win for $100. He signs anything purchased and takes photos with everyone.

He even fulfilled Bret Bowen’s dream.

“John Daly gave me a cigarette!” Bowen exclaimed.

Daly’s legend began at the 1991 PGA Championship when, as a relatively unknown 25-year-old and ninth alternate, he won the tournament, having never seen the course before. His `grip it and rip it` style resonated with everyday golfers. He was the first player to average over 300 yards off the tee in 1997 and topped the PGA Tour in driving distance 11 times between 1991 and 2002. He also secured a second major at the 1995 Open Championship at St. Andrews, shaking up the sport.

Off the course, Daly was more relatable, an unconventional figure with a mullet, known for cigarettes, beer, and his favorite restaurant, Hooters. He never took himself too seriously and challenged golf fashion norms.

Rebecca Gaines from Athens, Georgia, has been taking time off work for the past five years to see Daly, admiring his unique style, often featuring neon, skulls, the American flag, paint splatters, or a combination of these.

Legendary golf writer Dan Jenkins once joked about Daly`s pants at an Open Championship, comparing them to a Motel 6 shower curtain.

Gaines disagrees. “I love him because of his clothes,” she said. “That’s what drew me to him.”

Lance Odom, Daly’s caddie, met him while caddying for David Duval. They connected, and Odom now helps manage Daly’s fan interactions, noting the extraordinary attention Daly receives, unlike anything he’s seen with other golfers.

“People come here, and it’s like their first Disney experience with him,” Odom said. “Every person has a story. It’s like being with Michael Jordan; you can’t even go to a gas station without being approached.”

And everyone has their reasons for admiring Daly.

Scott Grennell from Hinesville, Georgia, on his lunch break, said, “Growing up, I had two heroes: Pete Rose and John Daly. And I met one today.”

Ed Burns, from Liverpool, England, living in Toronto, appreciates Daly’s populism in a typically formal sport. “He changed the game, an ordinary guy like that. He won the Open. He has my respect.”

Jason Gamble and his golf group stopped by before heading to the Masters. “He’s like the best guy in your golf group, just way better,” Gamble said. His friend, Malik Davis, added, “We’re all ex-athletes, but golf is different. To see someone like John make it look easy, it’s amazing. He’s just an everyday guy, the one you want in your foursome.”

For them, Daly is a role model. “John resonates with us. `Drunk By the Turn` – that’s our golf group,” Gamble said, pointing to his hat. “John is our mascot. He represents freedom, smoking, drinking, and playing golf.”

Daly even saved Pam Duvall’s Masters week. After a friend with promised passes became unreachable, she almost had a disastrous trip. “It was as expensive as you can imagine,” she said. “Unbelievable.” Her backup plan was Hooters. “We said if we could see John Daly and get a picture, it would be worth it,” Duvall explained. “My kids wanted Masters souvenirs, but signed John Daly merchandise will be even better.”

Daly has faced health challenges, including bladder cancer in 2020. He estimates having had 16 surgeries in eight years. “I’m more metal than the Bionic Man,” he joked. “But I’m still here. Like Lazarus, I keep coming back.”

Daly intends to continue his Hooters tradition as long as they’ll have him. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement, with a business partnership. His son, John Daly II, a golfer at the University of Arkansas, recently won his first collegiate tournament, making his father proud. “Birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie, birdie finish to get into a playoff at 1-under. That’s how tough the course was,” Daly bragged.

But Little John, who also has a deal with Hooters, will focus on golf. “He’s going to concentrate on the golf,” Daly stated.

The Augusta party has evolved for Daly. He used to spend the week in an RV, but now it’s a patio setup. The large tent party is gone since Augusta National acquired the strip mall for parking. But Daly is content with his patio “dominion” where fans can enjoy themselves.

“I may never be in the Hall of Fame, but I’ll always have the fans,” Daly reflected. “I love them, and they know it. We connect. Blue-collar people are supposed to connect.”

Alexis Davis, a Hooters waitress and Augusta resident, loves Masters week because of Daly’s diverse fanbase. “The golf people bring a different energy,” she said. “Excited for the Masters or sharing their stories after.”

She sees Daly as bridging the gap between golf’s fun and formal sides. Even famous faces like Ken Griffey Jr., Matt Damon, and Joey Fatone have visited. “You can have both,” she said. “Golf, proper attire, but also letting loose and enjoying yourself.”

Another Daly fan, Karson Angell, summed it up: “If you’re going to the Masters and you’re not coming to Hooters after, where are you really at?”