John Daly: Story of suspensions and controversies

One of the most colorful characters in the history of the golfing world is undoubtedly John Daly. The 56-year-old's career has been marred by controversies on one side, while on the other, he has had some stunning performances under his belt throughout his long career.

A five-time PGA Tour winner and a two-time major champion, Daly has also been suspended five times, fined over $100,000, has received seven PGA Tour orders to go to counseling or rehab for his alcoholism, has been cited 11 times for conduct unbecoming of a professional, and has been cited 21 times for “failing to give best efforts.”

We take a look at some of the most controversial moments in his career in greater detail.

1993: First suspension

While playing at the Kapalua International Open, Daly walked off during the middle of a round. He also threw his scorecard at the scoring tent while being upset at scoring a 77 at the Kemper Open earlier in the year.

Also that year, at the Southern Open, Daly walked off the course without telling his partners. The suspension covered all these incidents. he also entered alcohol rehab for three years later that year. He, however, returned to the PGA Tour the next year and won the 1994 BellSouth Classic.

The scuffle with Jeff Roth

During the 1994 PGA Tour's NEC World Series of Golf, Daly almost hit professional golfer Jeff Roth with his shot. This led to a confrontation between the two, which in turn led to a scuffle between Daly and Jeff Roth's father. They wrestled to the ground and were broken up by fans.

Struggles in the late 90s and early 2000s

After winning the 1995 Open Championship, Daly struggled with alcoholism, and his performances on the course deteriorated, leading him to withdraw from a number of tournaments. During the 1998 PGA Tour's FedEx St. Jude Classic, Daly finished with a score of 74, walked off the course, and was disqualified for not signing his scorecard.

A similar incident occurred at the 2002 Australian PGA Championship when Daly threw his putter and ball into a pond and later failed to sign for a 78 on his scorecard, disqualifying himself from the tournament. He also verbally abused a tour official for which he was and was ordered to write a letter of apology, as well as being fined by the Australian Tour.

Other later incidents

Daly was involved in two controversial incidents in 2008. The first one occurred at the 2008 Australian Open when he broke a spectator's camera and was given a suspended fine by Golf Australia. The second one occurred in December of that year when he was suspended for six months by the PGA Tour after an incident involving the Winston-Salem police.

In addition to these incidents, Daly has received fines for walking out on events, missing tee-off times, and playing on a course without wearing shoes or a shirt.

He lost over $55 million from gambling, including one particular day when he lost over $1.5 million in one go.

Daly's private life has also been the subject of ridicule - he has had four failed marriages - and is one of those classic stories of what could have been. Regarded by many as one of the most talented to have ever played the sport, and despite making numerous comebacks, Daly could never reach the heights his potential promised.

Getting stronger each day working with my team! Can’t wait to be back! See y’all in Tuscon! 👊🏼 twitter.com/CologuardGolf/…

His last major win came at the Buick Invitational in 2004, for which he won the PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year award, but following that, he just faded away.