News Headline of the Day: John Daly finds new place to camp out during Masters week following Hooters closing

[El Presidente]

 

John Daly finds new place to camp out during Masters week following Hooters closing

By Greg Gottfried

|January 7, 2026

I’m going to have to start this post with an apology. Over the last handful of years, I’ve been compiling our annual list of tributes for golf greats who have passed away. We lost some icons this year, from Judy Bell to Fuzzy Zoeller to Kultida Woods. Unfortunately, I forgot to add a critical figure that looms over Masters history and had become a home away from home for golf legend John Daly:

The Augusta Hooters at 2834 Washington Rd.

Not only was the vaunted restaurant closed in 2025, but it was eventually demolished, ensuring that no Masters patrons will be able to devour Hooters Daytona Beach® Style Wings in between rounds. As many are aware, Daly was known for camping out at the chain restaurant, signing merch, selling cigars and perhaps even having a drink or two. This was a hell of a loss for the 59-year-old, but as always, Daly has found a solution.

The Masters is three months away; however, Daly has already announced that he’ll be teaming up with Top Dawg Tavern, also on Washington Road. The site is just a few hundred feet away from the decimated Hooters, which is a beautiful tribute from one of golf’s most illustrious figures.

Top Dawg Tavern is a self-described “casual tavern featuring fried eats, burgers and wings,” so it’s not too difficult to imagine Daly setting up shop there.

John Daly has been an Augusta staple, posting up in his RV in the Hooters parking lot since 1997. We’re glad to see that Daly won’t let late-stage capitalism slow him down. The man wants to kick it with lucky golf nerds and Georgia locals for a week or so every April, and doggone it, he’ll find a way!

 

[Hoosh]

I, for one, am thankful John Daly won The Masters. His presence there (even if it is “outside”) each year is necessary as the golf course is literally filled with men that take themselves much too seriously - and I’m not even speaking yet about the duffers that go to the local muni every weekend. It’s the “athletes” like JD that backhandedly remind us that even with a skill not possessed by many, we only get one life to live. Mistakes will be made, but folks find it easier to forgive and forget the JD errors (remember when he was so drunk that he passed out - NOT in the bushes, but in the parking lot - at a NC Hooters?!), than the Lance Armstrong errors…

[zacca]

1 hour ago, Hoosh said:

I, for one, am thankful John Daly won The Masters. His presence there (even if it is “outside”) each year is necessary as the golf course is literally filled with men that take themselves much too seriously - and I’m not even speaking yet about the duffers that go to the local muni every weekend. It’s the “athletes” like JD that backhandedly remind us that even with a skill not possessed by many, we only get one life to live. Mistakes will be made, but folks find it easier to forgive and forget the JD errors (remember when he was so drunk that he passed out - NOT in the bushes, but in the parking lot - at a NC Hooters?!), than the Lance Armstrong errors…

Best he ever did at the Masters was T3. His majors were PGA Champ and The (British) Open.

Guy is an absolute legend either way. 

[Chibearsv]

I’ve got a friend that brought JD’s replica claret jug back to the US for him after he won the British Open because JD was afraid he’d lose it along the way. My buddy brought it to the bar we used to frequent.  It was very cool. 

[TheFullMontecristo]

Legend

[Hoosh]

36 minutes ago, zacca said:

Best he ever did at the Masters was T3. His majors were PGA Champ and The (British) Open.

Guy is an absolute legend either way. 

Well…the JD mystique had/has me convinced otherwise. 😆

Thanks!

[tbelle7]

17 hours ago, TheFullMontecristo said:

Legend

This is far more impressive than any of his on-course achievements.