Rogers Charity Classic notes: John Daly dishes on custom golf cart (2024)

Bryson DeChambeau’s reaction — “Are you kidding me?!?” he exclaimed — summed it up.

As the special guest on the latest episode of DeChambeau’s Break 50 series, John Daly popped the hood on his customized golf cart, revealing a drink cooler.

And not just a small one.

“I could fit about 40 of the John Dalys in there, maybe 14 bottles of Good Boy Vodka,” said Daly, pulling double duty as a product pitchman, during pro-am action at the Rogers Charity Classic. “It’s a great, great golf cart.”

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As if you needed further proof of Daly’s immense and unwavering popularity, the golf world has been buzzing about his appearance on Break 50, where the reigning U.S. Open champion DeChambeau pairs with a celebrity partner — previous guests have included former president Donald Trump and social-media personality and model Paige Spiranac — in a quest to shoot a score of 40-something in a scramble format.

Within 24 hours, the video with Daly had racked up 2.1 million views on YouTube.

“When he did one with Daddy Trump a couple of weeks ago, I guess he said to the fans, ‘Who do you want to do Break 50 with me next?’ ” said Daly, a two-time major champion —he won the 1991 PGA Championship and 1995 British Open — who has also made his share of off-course headlines. “And everybody was saying, ‘John Daly!’ So I said, ‘LFG.’ Let’s, you know … So we did it.

“I see Bryson like my son. He’s such a good kid. He’s got so much talent. I’m so proud of him. We had a blast.”

This was another glimpse into what makes the 58-year-old Daly a one-of-a-kind in the sometimes stuffy world of professional golf.

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He and DeChambeau commuted around Tennessee’s Old Hickory Country Club, one of his home hangouts, in his customized Dallas Cowboys cart.

He was fishing John Daly vodka seltzers from under the hood, although he briefly switched to chugging a glass of chocolate milk. He played barefoot and dropped some hilarious one-liners. Among those zingers: “These greens will be faster than my divorces.”

Daly will be putting on his game face for the Rogers Charity Classic, a three-round showdown with a US$2.4-million prize purse, but he stressed that it doesn’t always have to be serious business.

“Just have fun,” Daly said. “Hell, I’m too old to worry about golf. I love coming out and playing the PGA Tour Champions, I love to compete, but it’s more about the beginners. You know, just go out and play golf and have fun. If you get good at it, then take it serious. But it’s too hard of a game right now for beginners to take it real serious. So let it be fun. That’s what the whole Break 50 is about — to have fun.”

CHIP SHOTS: The field for this latest edition of the Rogers Charity Classic includes five Canadians — Stephen Ames, Steve Blake, Gordon Burns, Alan McLean and Mike Weir. Blake is a Calgary resident and an inspiring story. Now 56, he was diagnosed last fall with Stage 4 lung cancer … PGA Tour Champions veteran Scott Dunlap is playing this event for the ninth time, so this is quite a compliment. Asked about the conditioning at Canyon Meadows, Dunlap replied: “It’s the best I’ve ever seen it. The golf course is perfect.” … Friday’s first-round tee-times run from 10:30 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at rogerscharityclassic.com and spectator parking is available at the Anderson LRT station, with complimentary shuttles to the entrance gate.

wgilbertson@postmedia.com

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