‘I’ve been dead 11 times’ – Golf cult hero John Daly says he’s ‘like Lazarus’ after latest health scare

JOHN DALY has broken his silence following his latest health scare – and is already back on the links.

The two-major champion is famed for his love of cigarettes, Hooters chicken and wild partying.

Daly sparked worry among his fans after he underwent emergency surgery in January.

The 58-year-old posted a snap from a hospital bed after going under the knife for a hand injury.

Daly has undergone 16 surgeries over the last four years.

But just over two months on from the op, he made his triumphant return to action at the Hoag Classic in California last week.

Daly joked: “I didn't think I'd been out here for three decades, I've only been dead eleven times.

“I'm like Lazarus, I just keep coming back from the dead.”

Daly played all three rounds at the tournament, shooting 74, 72, and 71 to finish tied 64th on +4.

He continued: ‘It's good to be back. It's been a little brutal, but the hand's about 80 percent. So figured I'd come here.

“The tendons were all wrapped around each other. [The doctor] doesn't understand how I played last year.

“But he put it back, attached it to the forefinger or something.

“16 surgeries in four years, I've lost count pretty much.”

Cult-hero Daly, often seen strolling around the course with a cigarette in his mouth, is famed for his colourful outfits.

Nicknamed Wild Thing, he won the PGA Championship in 1991 and The Open in 1995.

He was ranked as a career-high World No23 in 2005 and is famed for his eccentric persona on and off the course.

Daly recently revealed how a drunk fan once ended up footing his $27,000 (£22,000) strip club bill after he missed the cut atThe Masters.

Masters Champion's prize money over the years

1934-1941:$1,500 (£1,183)
1943-1945:Not held (WWII)
1946-1948:$2,500 (£1,971)
1949:$2,750 (£2,168)
1950:$2,400 (£1,892)
1951:$3,000 (£2,365)
1952-1953:$4,000 (£3,154)
1954-55:$5,000 (£3,942)
1956:$6,000 (£4,730)
1957:$8,750 (£6,898)
1958:$11,250 (£8,869)
1959:$15,000 (£11,826)
1960:$17,500 (£13,797)
1961-1969:$20,000 (£15,768)
1970-1972:$25,000 (£19,710)
1973:$30,000 (£23,652)
1974:$35,000 (£27,594)
1975-1977:$40,000 (£31,536)
1978:$45,000 (£35,478)
1979:$50,000 (£39,420)
1980:$55,000 (£43,361)
1981:$60,000 (£47,303)
1982:$64,000 (£50,257)
1983:$90,000 (£70,955)
1984:$108,000 (£85,146)
1985:$126,000 (£99,337)
1986:$144,000 (£113,528)
1987:$162,000 (£127,719)
1988:$183,800 (£144,906)
1989:$200,000 (£157,678)
1990:$225,000 (£177,388)
1991:$243,000 (£191,579)
1992:$270,000 (£212,865)
1993:$306,000 (£241,247)
1994:$360,000 (£283,820)
1995:$396,000 (£312,202)
1996:$450,000 (£354,776)
1997:$486,000 (£383,158)
1998:$576,000 (£454,113)
1999:$720,000 (£567,641)
2000:$828,000 (£652787)
2001-2002:$1,008,000 (£794,697)
2003:$1,080,000 (£851,461)
2004:$1,117,000 (£880,631)
2005-2006:$1,260,000 (£994,536)
2007:$1,305,000 (£1,030,056)
2008-2010:$1,350,000 (£1,064,326)
2011-2013:$1,440,000 (£1,135,281)
2014:$1,620,000 (£1,277,191)
2015-2016:$1,800,000 (£1,419,102)
2017-2018:$1,980,000 (£1,561,012)
2019-2021:$2,070,000 (£1,631,967)
2022:$2,700,000 (£2,128,653)
2023-2024:$3,240,000 (£2,554,383)

Speaking on theFull Send Podcast, Daly said: “Augusta when I missed the cut. I was very mad, I should've made the cut, but we go to the [strip club].

“I had a girlfriend Shanae, she was beautiful, I loved her. And she goes, ‘I'm gonna take you to the t***y bar'.

“We went straight to the dungeon downtown, Augusta.”

He went on to say: “When I paid my tab of $27,000 there was a drunk sitting behind me [yelling] ‘John how you doing man? I got your tab don't worry about it!'

“I said ‘You do NOT want this tab dude, no way!' and he said ‘let me see it'.

“[He saw it was for] $27,000 and he looked back and he goes: ‘I got you.'”