After nearly a decade of personal torment in which he battled alcohol, weight problems and had three divorces, John Daly, 38, won his first US PGA Tour event in 2004. His sudden death victory in the Buick Invitational in February won him $864,000 - more than any single-season total during his career.
Daly took professional golf by storm when he came out of nowhere to win the 1991 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick in Indiana. He was named that year's PGA Rookie of the Year. A big hitter, Daly quickly became a favourite with crowds for his long drives and no-frills philosophy of "grip it and rip it."
Almost as quickly he became a controversial figure thanks to his on-course fits of temper and off-course bouts of drinking and gambling. He overcame erratic play to win the 1995 Open Championship at St Andrews, then suffered through six years of poor play and personal turmoil before winning the BMW International Open in Munich in September 2001.
