"But then the stories come out that I was drinking in the tent, drunk and stuff on the Thursday, and it's a joke."

17 years ago, John Daly stood answering the questions at Royal Birkdale in July 2008 as a brief coaching split from earlier that year resurfaced during The Open Championship. 

Butch Harmon, the highly respected instructor Daly had hired early in 2008 in an attempt to steady a career that had already taken several detours. The pairing was meant to signal a reset. Instead, it ended abruptly.

The split traced back to March that year at the PODS Championship in Tampa. A rain delay during the opening round sent Daly into a nearby Hooters hospitality tent, a surprising decision at the time that later took on an unusually large importance.

A rain delay sent Daly into a Hooters hospitality tent near the course. It was a small moment, barely noticed at the time, until it wasn’t anymore.

Harmon later spoke publicly, questioning Daly’s priorities and suggesting that serious players did not behave that way. His remarks carried weight, and they spread fast.

“You don’t see guys who are any good doing that,” Harmon said, adding that Daly’s biggest issue was alcohol.

By July, the tension spilled over at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Daly, already worn down by injuries and form, finally pushed back.

“I think his lies kind of destroyed my life for a little bit,” Daly said, responding to a question about his lifestyle. His voice carried more hurt than anger.

Daly admitted to being in the tent but denied being drunk. He said he drank Diet Pepsi during the delay and had “a couple of beers” days later, after missing the cut, while doing charity work.

“But then the stories come out that I was drinking in the tent, drunk and stuff on the Thursday, and it’s a joke,” he said.

What stung most, Daly claimed, was that Harmon spoke publicly without first speaking to him. 

“He needs to stay as far away from me as he possibly can,” Daly said.

Harmon did not retreat. He insisted nothing was fabricated and framed the episode as another example of Daly deflecting responsibility.

“This is just another case of John never wanting to look in the mirror,” Harmon said, pointing to long-standing personal struggles.

Daly played on that week despite medical advice, driven by what The Open still meant to him.

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu