John Daly is Mad, But Why?

You know that old saying about "crying wolf"? How if you do it so many times, people stop listening, and move on to other things. To me, that's a little of John Daly's career. Sure, he has a ton of talent, and sure, I'd have a beer or two with him if he ever wanted (which I'm sure won't happen since he blocked me on Twitter, another example of the insecurity level we're dealing with here), but would I give him an invite in my PGA Tour tournament? Probably not. Too many wolfs.

But that isn't how Daly sees it. After posting a 5-under 67 in the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open, Daly took to the microphone and screamed about the way he had been treated by the Bob Hope and the Waste Management Open. He's mad because they didn't extend him an invitation to play there this year, something they are totally allowed to do since it is their tournament and their sponsors exemptions.

Here are Daly's words ...

"I'll tell you this: I'll never go back to the Hope and I'll never go back to Phoenix, no matter what happens. I won't even send letters anymore. I'm not saying that to ditch the tournaments. I'm just saying that if you look at my past, everything the Thunderbirds have ever wanted me to do for 20 -- well, 17, 16 years I'm sure I did it for them. I helped get celebrities go to the Hope. I helped them out. I went to their parties and did everything for them. That is the kind of stuff that we all want our young players to do out here to help the tournaments, and I felt like I did my part. It hurt me for those two tournaments not to give me spots. So I'll go to Europe on those weeks."

Listen, is Daly a draw to go the game even at 44? Yes, people still care about him. Is he the top name that comes up when these tournaments are looking at people to invite? No, not anymore. It's called the changing of the guard, and to be honest, I don't blame the Hope or the WaMo. It's their decision who to invite, and if they see a young player itching to get in the event instead of a veteran known for his antics, I'd probably go younger as well.

It's just something Daly is always going to forced to live with as younger names become more popular. These kids have flawless resumes. Daly's is bruised and battered. It just seems the one guy asking for the invites can't really see why they wouldn't want him there.

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