Golf’s most outrageous characters

Snapped clubs, crushed cameras and backing vocals on rock records – golf’s most colourful personalities have done it all…
  
Bubba Watson
The Floridian boasts that he’s never had a lesson in his life, and it shows. His unusual swing resembles a controlled slice rather than a typical tee-off, yet somehow it works. Pink club shafts and balls are all part of the unconventional parcel that makes up one of the few left-handed golfers on the PGA Tour. His shot at Olympia Fields Country Club in August 2020 typifies his brilliance and individualism all at once – a one-yard high, 250-yard long masterstroke.

Tommy Bolt
Don’t let anyone tell you the golfers of yesteryear were a polite bunch. Terrible Tommy turned professional in 1946 before earning a reputation for kicking up a storm on the course and inspiring the nickname ‘Lightning Bolt’. His tendency to snap and throw clubs led to the adoption of a rule prohibiting such violent outbursts. It wasn’t until his later years that he admitted his on-course eruptions were often the result of showmanship that detracted from his game.

Walter Hagen
Golf’s first superstar made his name in the 1920s partying through the night and turning up at the course the morning after with little-to-no sleep. Known for arriving at the tee half-drunk in bright tailored clothes and ending the day walking away with the trophy. The stylish American once said: “I never wanted to be a millionaire, just to live like one”.
  


    
John Daly
A true fan favourite who was just as unpredictable on the course as he was off it. Who else in the world has five PGA tour wins and credits for backing vocals on a Kid Rock record? Unlike his impressive shots from the tee, Long John’s music career didn’t go the distance, but it’s the American’s temper that lives long in the memory of golf fans. Particularly during 2008’s Australian Open after Daly smashed one spectator’s camera into the trunk of a tree.

Chi Chi Rodriguez
The Puerto Rican pro had a habit of bringing smiles to others. Whether he was waving his putter around like a sword after a successful putt or throwing his hat over the hole, it always felt as though he enjoyed his time on the course. The charismatic comedian even poked fun at his life before golf, once joking: “How long does John Daly drive a golf ball? When I was a kid, I didn't go that far on vacation.”