04/20/24
August 04, 2005
Maybe he should have used a souped-up driver , kind of like Evel Knevel using a rocketbike to jump the Snake River canyon . I still wonder how that was considered a motorcycle , sure didn't look like one to me . I never knew what the point was there , he wasn't jumping it with a motorcycle , anyone could have sat in a rocket and pushed a button to start the ride . At least Daly gave it a shot with regulation clubs .
posted by evil empire at 08:00 AM on August 04, 2005
Hey, that rocket hand handlebars.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:11 AM on August 04, 2005
Tiger totally could have cleared that.
posted by insomnyuk at 08:12 AM on August 04, 2005
More importantly, John Daly has a company that designs golf courses? Move over Jack Nicklaus, there's a new kid on the block. So what is the signature mark on a Daly-designed course? Beer taps on the ball washers? Hit a hole in one, get a carton of cigarettes? Sand traps shaped like donuts? We need answers.
posted by mbd1 at 08:19 AM on August 04, 2005
Doooonuutttsss. Aaauuuuuggggghhhhh.
posted by seansterps at 08:25 AM on August 04, 2005
Tiger totally could have cleared that. Course he could - he can walk on water, can't he? Say what you like about Daly, but he's a hero. He also has the best line ever in an instructional video. "This is a driver. I hit a driver between 290 and 350 yards. This is a three wood *looks at it confused* I don't think I've ever hit a three wood *lobs it over his shoulder*" Legend (of the Falls... nearly).
posted by JJ at 08:35 AM on August 04, 2005
mbd1: If Daly's signature marks are beer taps and free smokes I'm so there.
posted by insomnyuk at 08:38 AM on August 04, 2005
It's one thing to hit it 342. It's another to hit one 342 over heavy swirling air that's pulling your golf ball down. To drive the falls would have been a feat. Not impossible, but way harder than hitting it the same distance over someone's lawn.
posted by chicobangs at 08:46 AM on August 04, 2005
More importantly, John Daly has a company that designs golf courses? Move over Jack Nicklaus, there's a new kid on the block. Actually, I think Daly has been involved and had his name on quite a few golf courses in the recent past. I've played his Wicked Stick course in Myrtle Beach, and it's a very nice place. I doubt, however, he's as "involved" in the business as Nicklaus. At this point, his name is what's the driving force behind the company. As JJ said above, Daly IS a hero, even though I think that word's a bit strong. Simply put, his is still a beloved figure in the golf world, and his name on a course makes people take notice.
posted by dyams at 09:10 AM on August 04, 2005
JOHN DALY FOR PRESIDENT....
posted by tb_mitchell at 09:17 AM on August 04, 2005
I watched 75% of that tv "event" last night. Zzzzzzz... Let me sum it up for you: Commentator 1 (one tee-side of falls) - "Okay, John, take another swing!" John - *grunt* *ping!* "I got all of that one!" Commentator 1 - "You killed that one! Commentator 2, can you see it?" Commentator 2 (green-side of falls) - "Ummm...nope. Nothing here." Colour Guy - "I think that mist is causing the ball to fall short." Commentator 2 - "Okay, John, take another swing!" etc.
posted by grum@work at 09:32 AM on August 04, 2005
He should talk to Raffey P., and get something that will unknowingly enhance his perfomance. Before congress regulates golf too.
posted by volfire at 09:42 AM on August 04, 2005
I watched 75% of that tv "event" last night. It was actually on TV? You'd better get a dish.
posted by dyams at 09:56 AM on August 04, 2005
Unless there is a water hazard that big on the PGA Tour, I don't think John has anything to worry about. Number 2 at the 84 Lumber Classic has a very large cavern to drive over. Most players were hitting it over by 20-30 yards. John was over 50+. The man can hit a golf ball.
posted by dbt302 at 10:33 AM on August 04, 2005
Shouldn't that be "Niagra Falls (20) vs John Daly (0)"?
posted by scully at 12:25 PM on August 04, 2005
It was actually on TV? You'd better get a dish. I have digicable, but it came on (rebroadcast) after the SportsNet late (Eastern Time Zone) broadcast, and I didn't bother turning the station (I was playing poker with the chums at the time).
posted by grum@work at 01:16 PM on August 04, 2005
He should talk to Raffey P., and get something that will unknowingly enhance his perfomance. Before congress regulates golf too. "Man, what's wrong with these Marlboros? They taste like shit all of a sudden..."
posted by The_Black_Hand at 01:18 PM on August 04, 2005
Michelle Wie could have done it, easy.
posted by mayerkyl at 01:40 PM on August 04, 2005
I am new to this and don't really know what I am doing but hats off the John for trying!
posted by skydivemom at 01:49 PM on August 04, 2005
Oops I don't mean hats off the john - I mean hats off to John - sorry
posted by skydivemom at 01:50 PM on August 04, 2005
Hat up, hat down ... will you women make up your minds about the John?!? If I could play a round of golf with anyone, it'd be Daly. Most of the guys would just so absolutely destroy me, it wouldn't be very enjoyablefor me or them. But I could envision John just laughing when I hit my fifth OB and saying, "Fuck it. Here, have a Diet Coke. Let's see how fast this cart goes." That'd be fun. Yes, I know. If something is "destroyed", it's destroyed. The "absolutely" is superfluous. Fuck off, will you?
posted by wfrazerjr at 02:11 PM on August 04, 2005
The five-time PGA Tour winner came closest on the second ball, which bounced off the wall just short of the target. Thats a pretty damn good shot, considering the winds that have got to be above the falls.
posted by jojomfd1 at 02:12 PM on August 04, 2005
Michelle Wie could not have even come close just take a look at her last two years averages . It starts in paragraph 4 of the article
posted by jojomfd1 at 02:22 PM on August 04, 2005
I thought I posted an immediate follow up pointing out the story in the Globe and Mail that is better but will be a dead link in a week or so. I guess I didn't. and terrapin - yeah, that is one way to look at it but consider it a boxing match. Daly threw what he had against the task and had one overall failure.
posted by gspm at 02:31 PM on August 04, 2005
(from the G&M article) Back in 1990, he successfully hit a shot some 310 yards over the Grand Canyon using a 1-iron. Sweet fancy Moses...I think it would take me two shots with a 1-iron to get it to go 310 yards. While the broadcast did get tedious, I do have to admit that Daly did his best to joke with the crowd to keep it interesting. When they showed him his previous swing on the monitor, he said something to the effect of "Who is that fat guy?", which had everyone laughing...
posted by grum@work at 02:40 PM on August 04, 2005
Its cute to hit a ball 300 yards on a golf course where you gauge wind direction and speed by tossing some grass in the air. Its next to impossible to hit it across the Niagara Gorge with that massive wind speed and the blanket of mist. The Gorge has already shown it can eat people. A golf ball is nothing.
posted by roberts at 05:42 PM on August 04, 2005
he just needs to leave tht shit to the pros that are in shape....tiger anyone?
posted by SDM at 06:34 PM on August 04, 2005
SDM, Tiger can't hit it off the tee as far as Daly can. Tiger's long off the tee, sure, and his irons & short game are light years ahead of the guy, but of the celebrity touring golfers, Daly is The Long Man. So if he can't do it, Neither can Tiger. And that doesn't factor in the fact that Tiger would be pretty much impossible to get for something like this. (If John Daly can get beer money and some camera time, John Daly is interested. And I say that out of the greatest respect.)
posted by chicobangs at 08:55 PM on August 04, 2005
I have been going thru the qualifying rounds of the Remax Long Drive Contest for this coming November and the 100K first prize and I will tell you that most of the guys who win the District events have been in the 350-370 yard range. Some of the balls have gone further but they have to fall within a 30 yard wide grid. I won my senior division(45-54) with a shot of 351. If there had been water and mist and wind swirling above the fairway, I doubt it would of gone 350! I once saw John do an event for promoting his Invex driver several years back(1998) at the Santa Monic Airport here in Los Angeles and he hit it over 700 yards down the runway!
posted by bluekarma at 11:21 PM on August 04, 2005
I could do it I reckon. I bring the long. Not as much as I used to, but I still bring it.
posted by JJ at 05:02 AM on August 05, 2005
I bring the long also, JJ ... but enough about my sex life. Buh dum ching! A friend of mine has a sponsorship with Yonex as a long-drive specialist. IIRC, he whacked it about 375-380 pretty regularly. Amazing stuff ... too bad he work the same putter with the same skill. Blue, how do you train for this? And what is it that makes you able to hit the ball so much farther than the rest of us? Size? Club speed?
posted by wfrazerjr at 09:42 AM on August 05, 2005
If you can hit it 350 or 400 or whatever over grass, fine. But this is over extremely heavy, swirling air that's pulling your ball down the whole way. I'm not surprised he couldn't do it, and frankly even the long-ball champion would probably have a hell of a time getting it across.
posted by chicobangs at 11:04 AM on August 05, 2005
Well, it ain't steroids! Actually, I am 6'1, 190..not nearly as big as many of the guys who hit it long. My driver is a 47" Alpha with 6 degrees loft and a Harrison 2.5 shaft. My driver isn't as long, so it isn't that either. I think it really has to do with club head speed and spin. If your ball is spinning less, it will travel farther, especially into the wind. I also throw my right side hard into the ball at impact. It doesn't appear I am killing it, but the clubhead is moving around 125. There are guys with speeds over 150, but because of spin, they lose distance. That is how I qualified recently. What is fun is on most long par 5's(500+yards), I am sitting well under 200 yards on my second shot and usually am hitting a 7-8-9 iron onto the green and putting for eagles. And I actually just learned to properly swing about a month ago, and I already had the club speed, but now I hit all my shots with exactly the same swing, even my wedges. And the old fillipino guy who showed me, can't hit the ball a 100 yards! I was actually bored with golfing on the course and was only hitting at the range but now I am excitied about playing and feel that now I can go from a 7-8 handicapp down to 1-2 in short order!
posted by bluekarma at 11:13 AM on August 05, 2005
This is getting me hot.
posted by yerfatma at 11:17 AM on August 05, 2005
Me too. I want to offer him out.
posted by JJ at 11:20 AM on August 05, 2005
I was actually bored with golfing on the course and was only hitting at the range but now I am excited about playing and feel that now I can go from a 7-8 handicap down to 1-2 in short order! From all of us who regularly shoot in the high 90s, blue -- go to hell. Just kidding. :) Damn, dude ... I thought I hit with a garage door in a 7.5-degree loft Big Bertha! I play off my front foot quite a bit, so I adjusted down the club face to compensate. I still, at 6-1 and 285, only hit about 260-270, but I have absolutely no club speed. As an example, from 150 out I'm hitting 5/6 iron while all my buddies are hitting 8/9. It's rather embarrassing, actually, but I don't play enough to worry about it. What does "offer him out" mean?
posted by wfrazerjr at 12:22 PM on August 05, 2005
I suspect it's Northern Irish (like me) - it means offer to take him outside for a spot of brawling, to throw down the gauntlet, to pick a fight with him etc etc I was, of course, joking.
posted by JJ at 03:58 AM on August 08, 2005
Oh. I thought it was like asking him on a date. Thanks for clarifying.
posted by wfrazerjr at 08:07 AM on August 08, 2005
He should have laid up to the "Maid of the Mist."