John Daly may not be playing in the Masters, but he sure is winning.
The week of the Masters – professional golfer’s first (and best) major of the year – is simply spectacular. Spring is in the air, and the azaleas are in full bloom at Augusta National Golf Club. They say the tournament is a tradition unlike any other, and there’s one thing that happens ever year that let’s everyone know The Masters has officially begun.
John Daly setting up shop at the Hooters in Augusta, Georgia.
A mere mile away from the hallowed grounds at Augusta National Golf Club sits a Hooters restaurant, and that’s where the legendary pro golfer typically parks his RV so that he can sign autographs and sell merchandise. Side note: I’d imagine he’s going through it right now with the latest news about Hooters.
Though the franchise as a whole might be struggling, this particular Hooters in Georgia seems to be business as usual. There’s a good chance that Daly’s annual presence at the restaurant has helped keep it afloat as other locations of the restaurant that specializes in… wings have shuttered.
Here’s a video from a couple of years back showing Daly’s set up at the Hooters closest to the home of The Masters:
Just a legendary man. There’s no other way to put it.
John Daly was spotted earlier this week already making himself at home at the Hooters in Augusta. A writer for Bunkered Golf shared a couple of photos online that showed Daly utilizing the porch area of the restaurant. The pro golfer rocks a big white beard nowadays, so this scoop from Ben Parsons was undoubtedly a confirmation that John Daly was ready to fulfill his Masters weeks duties:
“Only right that my first Augusta experience was to find John Daly setting up shop just outside the gates. It’s officially Masters week, folks.”
Only right that my first Augusta experience was to find John Daly setting up shop just outside the gates.
It’s officially Masters week, folks. pic.twitter.com/PfmGQbj1Rh
— Ben Parsons (@_benparsons) April 7, 2025
Great to see the legendary golfer and Diet Coke (and cigarette) enthusiast supporting a local, Augusta, Georgia business.
And not only is John Daly helping to bring the masses to Hooters, he’s also making a pretty penny for himself during Masters week. According to ESPN, the 58-year-old golfer raked in $780,000 last year selling various items like signed golf balls and specialized John Daly shirts and hats. The golf balls go for $10 a pop, and Daly charges $40 per hat, and the line outside the Hooters never really ends.
Which is simply incredible.
One of Daly’s best sellers are his “Short Game Cigars,” which apparently boast “cinnamon and elegant floral notes.” They sell for a whopping $250 a box, and if you think that’s a steep price, the people lining up at the Augusta, Georgia Hooters apparently don’t mind. Daly apparently sold out of the cigars on Wednesday… meaning that the loud-mouthed golfer didn’t even have enough inventory to get to the actual start of the Masters.
John Daly is currently on track to outsell last year’s numbers, so he could end up bringing in over $800,000 if his sales pace continues into the weekend. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t mind making almost a million dollars in a week. If he ever cracked the $1 million mark, it wouldn’t be surprising. It would just be another notch in the belt that is Daly’s incredible career in and around golf.
We were on our way to Augusta and thought we saw John Daly. Can confirm… it was John Daly pic.twitter.com/ORHLu5XBuy
— The Ontario Boys (@ontarioboys519) April 7, 2025
