John Daly

Golfer

John Daly took professional golf by storm when he came out of nowhere to win the 1991 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick in Indiana. He was named that year's PGA rookie of the year. A big hitter, Daly quickly became a favorite with PGA crowds for his long drives and no-frills philosophy of "grip it and rip it." Almost as quickly he became a controversial figure thanks to his on-course fits of temper and off-course bouts of drinking and gambling. He overcame erratic play to win the 1995 British Open, then suffered through six years of poor play and personal turmoil before winning the BMW International Open in Munich in September of 2001. In February of 2004 returned to the winner's circle on the PGA Tour, winning the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines. He published the no-holds-barred memoir My Life In and Out of the Rough in 2006.

Extra credit: Daly has been married four times... He and his fourth wife, Sherrie, filed for divorce in October of 2006... Sherrie and her parents were indicted on federal drug and gambling charges in 2003; they were accused (and later convicted) of selling cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines from 1996 to 2002 and of laundering the proceeds through local banks. The events in question happened before her relationship with Daly began, and Daly himself was not implicated or charged in the case... Daly is no relation to the popular Northern Ireland talk show host John Daly... Daly's outsized personality (and waistline) are sometimes compared to that of Babe Ruth.

Other famous golfers: Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam and Alan Shepard.