John Daly was one of golf’s more intriguing figures in the 1990s.  The American golfer earned the nickname “Long John,” as a result of his long driving distances off the tee.

On this day, August 11th in 1991, John Daly won the PGA championship.  Daly’s accomplishment marked the first time a rookie won the major golf title since Jerry Pate won the U.S. Open in 1976.  Daly’s PGA Championship victory brought the rookie from relative obscurity in the PGA Tour to a fan-favorite.  Daly’s unlikely victory was made even more improbable by the fact that Daly was the ninth and final alternate for the Championship.

The accomplishments of Daily’s rookie year would not go unnoticed by the PGA or the media and Daly would win the PGA Rookie of the Year award for 1991. Throughout the early 1990s, Daily gained a large following and was noted for greatly increasing attendance at events he participated in.