Issue #111
by Wayne Ellis, Sports America

The PGA’s Goofus and Gallant
Learning How to Play Golf the Right Way Courtesy of Highlights Magazine

If you were a kid in the 70s, no doubt you’re familiar with “Highlights” magazine.  This staple of elementary school libraries and Dr’s offices was probably the first periodical that many of us picked up.

If you remember Highlights, then you also remember the regular column, “Goofus and Gallant.”  They were two brothers whose approach to different situations gave kids a very clear example of choosing between right and wrong. 

Well, when it comes to the winner’s edge in sports, there’s a modern day Goofus and Gallant, showing us the right and wrong ways to go about competing.  And they exist in the PGA. 

Think Tiger Woods and John Daly.  If have to ask which is which, perhaps you should stop reading here.  But for those of you who can read on, in this issue of the Winner’s Edge, we’re going to compare how Tiger and John approach the game.

And we’re going to do it just as Highlights did (only without the drawings). 

The Biggest Winner Today vs. The Biggest Golfer Today

Hands down, the man considered the biggest winner in the sporting world today is Tiger Woods.  You can’t argue with an undefeated record (13-0) when entering the final round of a “major” with the lead.  Nor can you argue with 50 PGA wins at 30 years of age.

And then there’s Long John Daly, at around 300 lbs, probably the biggest/heaviest golfer today.  Yet long before Tiger was blasting drives 300 plus yards, Long John Daly was doing it. 

After bursting on to the scene in 1991 with an improbable win at the U.S. Masters, John Daly quickly became a golfing giant.  In addition to his driving, he had an adept touch around the green and could summon remarkable accuracy with his irons. 

But it was John’s everyman approach to the sport that endeared him to fans.  Unfortuantely, it’s that everyman approach to his life that continues to work against him.

From chain-smoking his way around the course, to incalculable gambling losses, to admitting to being an alcoholic, John Daly’s demons seem to come out on top more often than not.

And it’s shown in his golf performance.  The two majors to his credit more a testament to how good his game can be when he’s on, than an example of his volatile career. 

Daly’s volatility was never more evident than this year, with his showing at the PGA and British Open.  In both tourneys, in round one, he was right there, vying for the top spot on the leaderboard, only to blow it all away with horrible later rounds. 

Obviously, Tiger and John Daly go about their work in different ways.  Extremely different ways.  So different in fact, that we can break them down in the simplest terms possible – a la Highlights immortal Goofus and Gallant. 

Goofus Daly vs. Gallant Woods

• Making It Through a Round
  Goofus chain smokes, pops M&Ms like, well M&Ms, and slugs down enormous amounts of caffeine and waddles to his ball.
  Gallant eats fruit, drinks enough water to staff hydrated and strides purposefully toward each shot.
• Preparing for a Tournament
  Goofus Daly:  Goofus stays away form the course and plays golf with club pros at neighboring courses that feature casinos on the property
  Gallant Woods:  Arrives before hand to play the course and walk it with his caddy to account for yardage, green characteristics and the lay of the land.
• Family Life
  Goofus has had a number of marriages, as erratic as his golf game, married into family with a criminal past and apparently gets in knife fights with his betrothed.
  Gallant credits his parents at every chance and married a former Swedish model who dutifully attends the event or waits in the scorers tent.
• Embodying Discipline
  Goofus seems to have as many vices as fans.
  Gallant has been known to sear like a trucker on the course, but is rarely seen to drink, doesn’t smoke, and for all we know doesn’t think bad thoughts off the course.
• Physical Fitness
  Goofus has none:  see “Making It Through a Round” above...
  Gallant Woods:  In form fitting shirts looks like he should have an “S” emblazoned across his chest.
• Mental Game
  Goofus’ concentration and shot making – for one round at a time – can hold up as well as anyone’s almost… but over four days, well there’s just too many decisions to get them all right.
  Gallant’s mental toughness, concentration and steely resolve appear to have been passed down directly from his Buddhist mother and ex-Green Beret father.

So What Can an Athlete Take from the Above?

Just as in Highlights, the choice seems pretty clear for an athlete or anyone else who wants to experience success consistently and in throughout his or her life.  Tiger embodies the Gallant way.

However, for athletes who like to overcome the greatest hurdles possible, and live right on the edge, just take a long look at John Daly – PGA Goofus. 

Post Game HIGHLIGHTS

To learn more about Tiger Woods, his physical toughness and the discipline that has separated him from other golfers, you can visit his website at: http://www.tigerwoods.com

Or, you can check out books on Tiger, by clicking here.

To learn about John Daly, and the circus atmosphere that surrounds his life, check out his website at:  http://www.johndaly.com/

[sign up for your FREE Winner's Edge]

Back to Top