Daly Update
PGA Championship: John Daly's reported diet during the first round at Valhalla is fit for the gods
Ross Kinnaird
John Daly’s time at this year’s PGA Championship is now over—with a WD due to a thumb injury—but let’s remember the good times. And boy, were there many. The legend only played 18 holes at Valhalla, but what an 18 holes they were.
Zooming around in a cart with his caddie and clubs lagging behind, JD got to try out new customized direct-to-consumer clubs with special insignias and inspirational mantras. He shot an 11-over first-round but wore dynamite pants and enjoyed the nice weather. Isn’t that all that really matters?
Above all else though, Daly treated himself to a feast for the gods while competing at the PGA. There’s been quite a bit of back-and-forth already, but one thing remains a constant: The man knows how to enjoy himself during majors.
“I overheard the volunteer with John Daly’s group say that he went through two packs of cigarettes, four Snickers bars and two Cokes today at Valhalla. Had to share,” The Athletic’s Gabby Herzig tweeted. “Disclaimer: I am simply reporting what I heard. I walked the last four holes with his group. I too was shocked at the 2 Cokes figure!”
The Snickers bars alone are 215 calories each, but as we all know, calories don’t count on the course. It’s a purgatory of sorts for eating whatever you want, like at an airport or when you’re back home for the holidays.
David Cannon
The above photo from Getty, taken around the 16th hole on Thursday, clearly shows a Diet Coke. Whether he switched over to regular sodas midway through the round or stuck with his patented diet drink is still unclear.
What is clear, however, is that this is a golfer who knows what he wants. Daly has now teed off at the PGA Championship 30 times and at 547 events on the PGA Tour. Let’s see Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy or Scottie Scheffler go through 40 cigs, four Snickers bars and two Cokes on the course. Any golfer can smack the ball around and birdie a few holes. Can you do all that while consuming enough snacks to put Joey Chestnut to shame? That’s true golf.
