Wait, John Daly hit shots while holding a soda? Then hit an opening skull?

One was mesmerizing. The other, mystifying. They were separated, presumably, by just minutes. 

Each came off the clubs of John Daly. 

Of course they would. 

Daly, the two-time major winner who also oozes color, has a knack for these kinds of things — and yet they still somehow manage to surprise us. You’ve seen and heard examples in the past. Some here. Some elsewhere. To those, we add this, orchestrated last Friday at the PGA Tour Champions’ Hoag Classic:

The one-handed range warm-up while holding a Diet Coke, followed quickly by a skull on the opening tee at Newport Beach Country Club. 

Let’s unpack them in order. 

The one-handed range warm-up while holding a Diet Coke was captured and shared by the Champions’ social media team. On the video, while wearing sunglasses, a gray pullover and orange pants adorned with the Hooters restaurant logo, Daly hit five balls with just his left hand, while his right held one of his longtime beverages of choice. The one-handed move is a method of loosening up. (The author has tried it on occasion.) It was rhythmic.    

“Wedge in one hand, Diet Coke in the other,” said the tweet of the warmup video. “@PGA_JohnDaly is ready to roll @HoagClassic.”

Shortly thereafter, presumably, Daly went to the first tee, where the skull on the opening tee at Newport Beach CC came. 

This was captured by an Instagram user, then shared by the Fore Play podcast social accounts. On the video, Daly settled over his ball on the tee on the par-4 playing to 333 yards on Friday, took two waggles with what appeared to be less than driver, then backed off after an announcer introduced him. “Now on the tee from Dardenelle, Arkansas, please welcome John Daly,” he said. After a cheer, Daly stepped back. He took two more waggles. He swung. 

His ball shot low and left. On his follow-through, Daly let go of his club with his right hand. From the gallery, there was a groan. Daly, meanwhile, said something in the direction of his caddie. A fan near the recording said, “Whew.”

Indeed. 

From there? Daly went on to double-bogey the hole, he shot a three-over 74, and he finished the three-round event at 15-over, 29 strokes behind winner Padraig Harrington.  

Daly’s also scheduled to play this week at the Galleri Classic, another Champions event.