NewsBite

John Daly’s $1.4m Florida home suffers ‘total loss and devastation’

American golf legend John Daly has been left broken hearted after his life-long home was completely ruined by Hurricane Helene.

Hurricane Helene aftermath: US president allocates $45 million for relief aid

Exclusive Post photos reveal flamboyant links legend John Daly’s Florida manse after he said Hurricane Helene caused “total loss and devastation’’ to the $1.4 million waterfront abode.

The snaps show the golf fan favourite’s million-dollar-plus home in Clearwater still standing, although at least part of the single-story stunner was apparently gutted and its floors warped.

Watch selected NRL, AFL, SSN games plus every F1 qualifying session and race live in 4K on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial today.

Piles of ruined furniture and stuffed black plastic garbage bags sit on the curb in front of the three-bedroom, two-bath property, which is worth more than $1.4 million, according to online real estate sites.

“For everyone that has reached out, my family are safe, but our homes are not as water is pouring out in every crevice,’’ the former PGA champ, 58, wrote on Facebook on Sept. 27, hours after the killer ‘cane made US landfall around Perry, about three hours north of Clearwater.

“Total loss and devastation after living here all my life! I still cannot imagine all we have lost, but we are safe and all can be replaced! Praise God!” he said.

Garbage bags full alongside ruined furniture outside Daly’s house. Credit: NY Post
Garbage bags full alongside ruined furniture outside Daly’s house. Credit: NY Post

About five days later, on Wednesday, the famous grizzled dad of three told PGATour.com, “I just haven’t even gone back into’’ the home.

“I restructured it, fixed it up. Hadn’t been in it for two years; got all the stuff in there, and then it’s all gone,’’ said Daly — who has become a colourful cult classic on the greens partly by once smoking 21 cigarettes, guzzling 12 Diet Cokes and eating six packages of peanut M&Ms during a practice round before a major championship.

Daly told the outlet he has been living mainly in Dardanelle, Arkansas.

He described how people close to him in Florida were devastated as well because of Helene, the second deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland since Katrina in 2005.

Daly couldn’t believe the devastation. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR)
Daly couldn’t believe the devastation. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR)

“We’re going to have to redo about three, three and a half homes, almost four,” Daly said.

“Anna’s mom lost her house,’’ he said, referring to the mother of fiancee Anna Cladakis.

A photo shows the home — in Tarpon Springs about 30 minutes away from the golfer’s — still standing but with its front mostly blown out and mounds of destroyed furniture and other belongings piled up on the curb.

Daly added of others, including Anna’s sister, Chrissy, “Matty’s burned down yesterday morning, and Chrissy had to get a boat to get to hers, so they’re all pretty much gone.”

His future sister-in-law’s home nearby also remains but it had heaps of trash, including wrecked furniture, on its curb, too, according to a photo.

“You live in Florida, you have to understand that’s going to happen, but not like this. I didn’t think it would be this bad,” Daly said.

“I hope everyone gets safe and gets their homes back. My heart just goes out to everybody.”

At least 220 people have been reported dead from the weather catastrophe, with hundreds more still missing across the southeast. The storm is estimated to have caused tens of billions of dollars in damage.

This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/john-dalys-14m-florida-home-suffers-total-loss-and-devastation/news-story/3484adeb9895e03e56654d4c419d8d35