It had all the makings of a Hollywood ending. A wild man with a mullet and a Marlboro. A 65-foot prayer from the Valley of Sin. A playoff that swung like a wrecking ball. If you ever needed proof that golf could be pure chaos wrapped in goosebumps, look no further than the 1995 Open Championship at St Andrews.
This wasn’t just a golf tournament. It was bedlam. And somehow, it ended with John Daly — part folk hero, part cautionary tale — holding the Claret Jug.
Daly Shows Up, Rips It, and Eats Muffins
By 1995, John Daly had already earned a reputation: big swing, bigger baggage. No top-10 finishes all year, fresh off a leave of absence for alcoholism, and famously inconsistent — especially at The Open, where he’d previously finished dead last in two of his last three starts.
But golf is weird. Especially on the Old Course.
Daly opened with a 67 to tie for the lead. Then he stayed there, tied again after 36 holes. Saturday’s 72 pushed him four back. By Sunday morning, most had written him off. Not Daly.
Instead of grinding on the range, he downed five or six chocolate croissants and danced around the hotel room to Wilson Pickett with his wife, Paulette. He was still deep in recovery and fueling on muffins — specifically Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate chocolate-chip ones from the clubhouse. “The good kind,” he said. “The kind you can get at Shell stations back home.”
And somehow, this sugar-charged strategy worked.
Sunday: Daly Goes Full Daly
While leaders like Michael Campbell wilted in 40 mph gusts, Daly’s freewheeling approach caught fire. He birdied three of the first nine to snag the solo lead. Then he stumbled — three-putt bogey at 16, another bogey at 17 — but held it together just enough to post 6-under 282.
It felt like it might be enough.
Enter Costantino Rocca.
Rocca’s Valley of Sin Miracle
Needing a birdie on 18 to force a playoff, Rocca bombed a drive just short of the green. The moment was there. Until… disaster. He chunked his pitch into the Valley of Sin — a humiliating duff with the whole golf world watching. The commentators already had Daly fitted for the Claret Jug.
But then Rocca stepped up to a 65-foot putt over uneven slopes, through the belly of the beast, and rolled it in like it had eyes. He dropped to his knees, pounded the turf, and instantly became a legend — even in a tie.
It’s still one of the most unforgettable reactions in golf history. Pure disbelief. Pure ecstasy.
Playoff: Cig in Mouth, Jug on the Line
The playoff format was four holes — 1, 2, 17, and 18. Daly started with par-birdie. Rocca went bogey-par.
Then came the Road Hole.
Daly found the rough. Rocca found the bunker. Not just any bunker — the Road Bunker, deep and unforgiving. It took him three hacks to get out. He made triple. Just like that, it was over.
Daly cruised in with a four-shot playoff win. Rocca salvaged pride with a final birdie, but the damage was done.
The Jug, the Crowd, and the Aftermath
As Daly lifted the Claret Jug, the crowd roared. He looked down at the silver trophy, eyes wide. “The names that are on here — it’s unbelievable to be a part of it,” he said.
It was raw, emotional, and weirdly perfect.
Of course, in true Daly fashion, he’d later sell that same Jug. Financial troubles, personal demons — they followed him long after the win. The Jug eventually fetched over $78,000 at auction in 2024. Some fans were shocked. Others just nodded. That’s Daly.
Rocca’s Loss Became a Legacy
Rocca never won a major. But his 65-foot bomb became his legacy. He won five times on the European Tour, but when people say “Costantino Rocca,” they think of the Valley of Sin. And rightly so.
He may be the most beloved runner-up in major championship history. Not bad for a guy who started the 18th hole needing birdie and nearly fell apart on live television.
Final Notes from the Home of Golf
The 1995 Open wasn’t just Daly’s day. It was Palmer’s farewell and Tiger’s first appearance. It was swirling wind, a leader crumbling with a 76, and Jack Nicklaus taking 10 shots on one hole.
It was muffins, madness, and moments that still give goosebumps.
Daly, for all his flaws, gave fans something unforgettable — not just because he won, but because he did it his way. Loud, flawed, hilarious, and human.
Just like the rest of us.