Tragedy & Farce Cloud PGA Championship
A pedestrian was struck and killed, golfers had to walk miles to reach the tournament, and the PGA’s top talent was arrested for a traffic infraction.
The PGA Championship, the grand theater of golf, is no stranger to controversy and odd mishaps, making it the sport’s most entertaining rollercoaster.
The classic tournament, a battleground of giants, often morphs into a soap opera, where the unexpected is the norm and the bizarre is always lurking around the corner.
Take, for instance, the infamous 1999 incident involving Jean Van de Velde at Carnoustie. There he was, pants rolled up, wading in a water hazard, contemplating a shot that defied all logic and had spectators gasping and giggling in equal measure.
Then there’s the curious case of John Daly, the “Wild Thing” of golf, who in 1991, emerged from the depths of obscurity to claim victory with his booming drives and audacious attitude. His unexpected win was less a Cinderella story and more a rock-and-roll anthem, complete with all the riffs and rifts that make for legendary lore.