Surprising players Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson felt a bit jealous after a wild American rocker showed off some skills.
Rock legend Alice Cooper has some high praise for one golfer who impressed even the greats Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson — John Daly. Daly, a fan favorite known for his incredible power and two major wins in the 1990s, left a big mark on the game.
He won the 1991 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club and the 1995 Open Championship at St Andrews. According to Cooper, who’s affectionately called the “Godfather of Shock Rock,” both Woods and Mickelson were amazed by Daly’s skills, especially his short game.
In an exclusive chat with talkSPORT, Cooper shared that Tiger and Phil agreed Daly had the best wedge play on the PGA Tour. “I asked both of them who’s the best around 60 yards, and they said John Daly,” Cooper said. “They said he had the best hands out there.”
Daly, who won five official PGA Tour events, is a bit of a mystery since, despite his success, he was never picked for the Ryder Cup. Known for his sharp short game, Daly once joked, “If I could play the Tour drunk, I’d win every week. But in pool, if I was sober, I wouldn’t make a ball.”
Daly’s struggles with alcohol are well-known, and there’s even a cocktail named after him—the ‘John Daly,’ a boozy twist on the classic ‘Arnold Palmer.’ Cooper also had a fun theory about why Team Europe has done so well in recent Ryder Cups. “The Europeans play better doubles because they hang out and drink together,” he said. “Americans are more serious, with psychologists and specialists. It’s not as fun.”
When he’s not rocking out, Cooper enjoys taking golf lessons with champions like Daly, Johnny Miller, and Rocco Mediate. While he doesn’t expect to play on the PGA Tour, he joked that if he ever did, he’d keep his signature stage look—including his dripping eyeshadow. “If I could shoot 68 or 69 every day, I’d go full makeup on the Tour. Why not?” he laughed.
Cooper revealed his best golf handicap was a 2, and now it’s 4. Back in the early ’90s, he even wondered how cool it would be if he played on the Tour. He’s been a big supporter of Woods over the years, famously predicting in 2015 that Tiger would win at least 10 more tournaments after his comeback. While that number was a bit high, Woods did snag three wins, including the iconic 2019 Masters.
Alice Cooper’s love of golf and respect for players like John Daly, Woods, and Mickelson really shines through, blending rock ’n’ roll spirit with the game’s legendary talent.