The Shocking Truth About John Daly's Net Worth - How He Made His Millions and Lived Like a King

Debuting in 1987, John Daly has been a face on the PGA Tour for quite some time. There is no doubt that being a professional athlete can bring tremendous wealth, but how much? How has golfing impacted Daly's net worth?

Given the nickname "Long John" for his driving distance off the tee, Daly is a force in the golfing world. Whether teeing off on the green, managing his golf partnership with Loudmouth Golf, or making music, Daly is always busy — and making money. Here's a look at how much Daly has made from golfing and why his net worth is a bit lower than expected.

Daly moved around frequently with his father and mother Jim and Lou Daly as well as his brother and sisters. His family relocated from California to Arkansas when Daly was 4 years old. By the time Daly was 5 years old, he had already developed an interest in golf. When his family relocated to Virginia, he won his golf championship at the age of 13. After Daly graduated from Helias High School in Missouri, he attended the University of Arkansas on a golf scholarship from 1984 to 1987.

He was able to qualify for the U.S. Open in 1986. Daly eventually left college without completing his degree and in the summer of 1987, he went pro with his first victory in the Missouri Open. In the early '90s, Daly made waves in golfing attending Ben Hogan Tour, Sunshine Tour, Ben Hogan Utah Classic, and landing space at the 1990 PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. He finished at T-12 and earned PGA Tour privileges in 1991.

Although Daly has a long history of success in his golfing career, it hasn't been without struggles. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Daly's performance started to falter as he dealt with drinking issues. At the U.S. Open in 1996, Daly finished T-27. The following year he withdrew from the U.S. Open citing issues with his health as a result of his drinking. According to reports, he started attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Despite the hiccups Daly has and continues to experience in his career, he still has an estimated net worth worth $2 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth. Of course, without the reported gambling problems and multiple divorces, Daly's net worth would likely be higher.

In a 2014 interview with Graham Bensinger, Daly admitted to gambling away over $55 million dollars. The major champion golfer mistakenly believed his gambling losses were less than half the actual amount. After going through his tax records, Daly realized just how large of a toll gambling took on his finances. How could the legendary golfer gamble that much money away? According to Big John, he would play multiple hands simultaneously for thousands of dollars each. Yikes.

Losing $55 million gambling is horrendous, but John Daly still has an estimated $2 million net worth due to his various modes of income. According to his PGA Tour profile, Daly has amassed $12.5 million in career earnings through 7 total wins and 402 made cuts. Since becoming a member of the PGA Tour Champions in 2016, Daly's earnings total $2,221,096 (as of 4/2023).

Daly is also sponsored by vibrant, golf clothing brand Loudmouth. The major winner claimed in an interview with Dan Meltzer that when he signed with Loudmouth in 2009, the brand went from an $800,000 valuation to a $3 million valuation in one year. While it is unknown how much Daly makes from the apparel brand, increasing its value can only be a positive for his wallet.

The outlandish golfer also operates his own merch store, golf tour called MoBetta Golf Tour, and John Daly Pizza - a pizza program that markets to golf courses, restaurants, and convenience stores. You can check them out here.

In 2022, Daly released a music album entitled Whiskey and Water, which features guests such as Willie Nelson. This is his third album. His other albums are "My Life" and "I Only Know One Way." All of his music is in the genre of dance/electronic and folk. He has authored several books entitled My Life in and out of the Rough, Golf My Own Damn Way: Wit and Wisdom of John Daly, and Grip It and Rip It.

Although Daly has been diagnosed with bladder cancer and has experienced shoulder injuries, his golf career continues. In 2022, Daly was ranked 57th in the Champions Tour. Commenting on playing with his shoulder injury, he stated, "It's separated. I just play with it separated, that's how I get a nice cut out there. I just don't hit it anywhere anymore. Sometimes it will pop back into place and I have to pop it back out.

While Daly has proven to be resilient to injuries, in October 2022, he suffered a knee injury that required surgery to repair the damage.