John Daly's Masters Week Tradition Finds New Home at Top Dawg Tavern
As evening descended on the Monday following Easter, the silver-haired, self-proclaimed Lazarus of golf began to show signs of stiffness. "My back," John Daly winced, the 59-year-old already feeling the strain just hours into what promises to be a long week at Top Dawg Tavern. This bar, situated just off Washington Road in Augusta, has become his new base camp ahead of the Masters tournament.
The encouraging news? Early indications suggest this remarkable survivor might have engineered yet another comeback. Although Daly has not competed for a Green Jacket in two decades, he remains one of golf's most compelling attractions, and his appearances continue to be a cherished, unique tradition during Masters week.
A New Venue for a Beloved Tradition
For nearly three decades, the two-time major champion had established his annual pilgrimage outside the Hooters restaurant across the street. There, he welcomed fans to greet him, share a drink, and purchase merchandise. That location became his second home, offering a fascinating, often chaotic glimpse into American culture. However, last November, the Augusta Hooters was demolished, raising concerns about the future of Daly's tradition.
Yet Daly is a man who has overcome alcoholism, cancer, sepsis from a spider bite, and more than a dozen surgeries in the past ten years. Rarely seen without a cigarette between his lips or fingers, he once famously declared: "I'm like Lazarus, I just keep coming back from the f***ing dead." So when Hooters was reduced to a parking lot for the Masters, Daly simply rolled away the stone and relocated to another sprawling strip mall.
Top Dawg Tavern, where waitresses dress more conservatively but crucially still serve wings, now hosts the golf legend. Situated barely a mile from the pristine fairways of Augusta National, the tavern has seen lines form as Daly, his fiancée Anna, and former caddie Lance Odom sell a vast array of customized merchandise.
Merchandise and Fan Interactions
The offerings include T-shirts and caps priced at $40 each, lighters at two for $10, books and golf gloves for $20, and guitar plectrums also at $20. Nearly every item features Daly's face, name, or one of his catchphrases like "grip it & rip it," and each is personally signed by the legend.
The setup is somewhat chaotic: on the patio, memorabilia piles high on tables as Daly, fueled by cans of his Good Boy Vodka iced tea and lemonade, moves between a makeshift cash register and center stage. His team has developed a smooth operation: Anna assists fans in selecting items, Daly provides signatures and smiles, and everyone who makes a purchase receives a photograph with the golf icon, with Odom serving as the resident photographer.
Daly arrived in Augusta on Saturday and plans to remain at the tavern daily for a week. His giant RV is parked nearby, stocked with essentials including Marlboro Reds, a Hooters lighter, and a Hooters cooler containing spare receipt rolls. The team processes hundreds of transactions per hour while televisions display silent press conferences from Augusta National, and inside, a musician plays guitar and harmonica. Daly even performed karaoke over the weekend.
Commercial Success and Fan Devotion
Operating loosely from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the line rarely diminishes. Fans of all ages, both local and international, come to see the 59-year-old with curly hair framing his ears and a long white beard. On Thursday and Friday evenings, Daly will appear at Topgolf, a few miles away, to mingle with additional supporters.
Who can fault him for commercializing his lifestyle and legend? The venture is reportedly highly profitable, with claims of $20,000 in sales per hour. During a couple of hours on Monday, Daly paused only for a bathroom break and a brief conversation with the Daily Mail. "It's awesome, I love it," Daly expressed. "It's good to have the fans on your side. You just have to be honest with them."
This honesty, he believes, explains why fans still flock to him two decades after his last competitive round at Augusta National. "I just never lied to them - when I screw up, I tell them I screw up, and I take the blame. And when I do things good, they love it," he elaborated. The Masters week remains one of his favorite times of the year, especially when he played. "I love Augusta, I love the people. The Masters is a tournament that never leaves its home. It's the only major that stays at home," he added.
Legacy and Enduring Appeal
Last March, Hooters filed for bankruptcy with nearly $400 million in debt, selling all restaurants to a franchise group backed by its founders. Daly remarked, "We're coming back… I don't know if we're going to come here. But I love Hooters." He also expressed gratitude to Top Dawg Tavern for hosting him.
Among the pricier items at this pop-up are $100 flags commemorating his victories at the 1995 Open Championship and the 1991 PGA Championship, where he entered as the ninth alternate and triumphed as an unknown 25-year-old. However, on Monday afternoon, few fans wanted to discuss those historic rounds at Crooked Stick or St Andrews. Daly's appeal has never been solely about scorecards or leaderboards.
Supporters have long been captivated by his powerful drives, flamboyant outfits, easy charm, and rejection of golf's often rigid traditions—encapsulated in the "Daly Vibe" promoted on his merchandise. An observer once noted that over 18 holes, Daly consumed 21 cigarettes, 12 Diet Cokes, and six packets of M&Ms. "I cannot stand drinking water," he previously admitted, preferring beer, cigarettes, and betting.
Around a decade ago, Daly revealed he was "shocked" to discover losses of approximately $55 million from gambling between 1992 and 2007. At Top Dawg Tavern, he is recouping some of those losses, one cap and jet torch lighter at a time. A small trailer nearby holds box after box of merchandise, with Odom claiming they sold out last year. During the 2024 Masters at Hooters, they sold around $780,000 worth of gear, and on Monday, Anna made multiple trips to restock.
Sustaining Energy and Looking Ahead
Some might ponder what Daly could have achieved with such relentless dedication to his golf career. When asked by a fan if he sleeps for a week afterward, Daly pointed out it's impossible—he has the Senior PGA Championship in Florida next weekend. His 22-year-old son, John II, recently made his PGA Tour debut.
Adorned with a gold necklace and bracelet, Daly frequently pops the lid of a gold marker pen to sign items for delighted fans. In previous years, gifts have included onions, cheese, and paintings. Monday's crowd featured visitors from Australia and Manchester, England, with the latter joking, "We drink a lot - just not as much as John!" eliciting a chuckle from Daly, who declined a tip and instead offered another plectrum.
This tiring, thirsty work is intermittently relieved by waitresses delivering buckets of cans. As hours passed, the line showed no signs of shortening. How does his body endure? After numerous health challenges, how does Daly maintain the energy to keep signing and smiling? Odom's answer is straightforward: "Drinking and smoking, baby!" At one point, Daly took a large swig from his can, discarded it, and resumed signing. He later quipped to his former caddie about their refreshments: "You going to have one? Or what you going to do? Be a p****y?"
