06/05/2026
The first time the world saw John Daly play golf, crowds were gob smacked by his incredible, powerful drives. He was a pioneer of the grip-it-and-rip-it style of play, the first man to average more than 300 yards in driving distance on the PGA Tour, which he did back in 1997. He was the distance king of the 1990s, leading the PGA Tour in driving distance for 11 years (1991 through 1993 and 1995 through 2002). His booming power and a deceptively proficient short game led him to two major victories, the 1991 PGA Championship and 1995 Open Championship.
Daly has become a bit of a living legend for not taking the serious game of golf all that seriously. Videos of him pulling up his cart to the tee box with a giant bottle of vodka and a cigarette in his mouth abound on the Internet. He appeared in the recent sequel to Happy Gilmore, living in the lead character’s garage and offering advice while sipping on hand sanitizer.
Now, Daly is a part of the cigar business, joining with San Giuseppe ci**rs on two lines meant to reflect his easygoing approach to life.
“I learned one thing—I try and have a good time. I’ve had a blessed life. I’ve lived hard, I’ve played hard,” says the 59-year-old on a recent Zoom call. “I’m not a huge cigar smoker,” he admits, puffing on a cigarette. “I do them more for celebrations. I love to do them every now and then. It’s soothing.”
There are two versions of John Daly ci**rs, Long Game The Lion and Short Game The Wild One. Each comes in one size, and both are made in the Dominican Republic.
—Cigar Aficionado
