Daly begins comeback with determination and new look
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- John Daly isn't prepared to say this is his last chance.
He's 43 and returning to the PGA TOUR after a six-month hiatus. He'll be the first to tell you he's "wasted" a lot of years with a litany of transgressions that include trashed hotel rooms, drunken binges and police mug shots.
By his own account, though, Daly took the most recent layoff to heart.
He's had lap-band surgery and lost 61 pounds. He's hit so many balls he's gotten "sick" of hearing his instructor, Rick Smith, repeat "Divot in front of the ball; divot in front of the ball." He even finished second in a European Tour event.
So John Daly's comeback tour begins this week at the St. Jude Classic presented by FedEx. He has limited status on TOUR as a past champion and will probably play most of his golf overseas in the foreseeable future.
But he's here at TPC Southwind with those outrageous Loudmouth pants. He says he's more ready to take advantage of the opportunity to play golf than he has ever been in the past.
"I don't know what a last chance really is," Daly said. "Last chance to me is when you're six feet under. I love this game. I really do. I know deep down in my heart I may never be the No. 1 player in the world, but I know that I love golf and I love to compete.
"And the satisfaction of having that opportunity, knowing I'm prepared to play, I've never been able to see what my best potential is."
Whether he reaches that potential or remains a shadow of the man who won two major championships remains to be seen. But there is no doubt that Daly can move the needle -- particularly here in the Memphis area where he has lived for two decades.
Tim Herron spent some time Tuesday on the putting green with Daly, who wore red-white-and-blue striped pants complete with bands of stars. Herron, who plays with Daly and Tim Clark in the first two rounds, joked about his friend's "Hollywood makeover."
"Good for him," Herron said. "At least he's thinking positive, in the right direction. ... You know, it's funny, people still love him -- fans especially. People are still talking about John which is good. So he's good for the TOUR, good for the community.
"I think a lot of people probably see themselves in him. He's kind of a regular guy who made it playing golf."
Defending champion Justin Leonard agreed with Herron's assessment.
"He puts fans in the seats, and that's important," the Texan said. "He brings people to this golf course and he'll bring viewers to watch on TV. I think it seems like from the outside looking in that he's pretty serious about his game.
"That's a good thing for all of us."
For his part, Daly is proud that he turned what could have been a negative into a positive. He spent more time with his four children. He worked with Smith and fine-tuned a swing that had gotten faster with his considerable weight loss.
Daly had ballooned up to nearly 280 pounds before the surgery, which was performed by a doctor in Clearwater, Fla. The procedure took 20 minutes, he rested for 30 more and then he drove to Daytona Beach.
True to past form, though, he's the first to admit he "cheated" rather than dieted yet again. But Daly is such a proponent that he taking his 17-year-old daughter next Tuesday to have the same surgery.
"It's just a technology that you don't have to go work out in the gym," Daly said. "I get plenty of exercise walking. I'm not saying for people to get it done and think you're going to be able to sit on the couch and lose weight. That's humanly impossible. ...
"But what it does, it just makes you lose weight. If you do eat too much or eat too fast, you will throw up. That's the only downfall of it. And the worst thing about it is, the worst pain that was in it, was the IV going in your arm before they do the surgery."
The time in Europe has allowed Daly to get some confidence back which has helped soothe the nerves this week. He missed traveling in his RV but he said the reception from his fans and his peers has been heartwarming. Three paychecks didn't hurt, either.
Daly didn't qualify for the U.S. Open so he plans to return to the European Tour for four events leading up to and including the British Open. Then he'll come back across the pond for the Buick Open and possibly the RBC Canadian and see what happens.
The most important thing, Daly says, is to take the game more seriously. He's looking long-term with the Champions Tour on the horizon. He says he doesn't want to be like former Dallas Cowboy linebacker Thomas Henderson, who once admitted that he'd never know how good he could have been.
"That kind of sticks with me a lot," Daly said. "But the good news is I can still salvage a great career. I've had a great career. I'm not going to down my career. It's been hell. There's no doubt about it.
"But when I was 16 and 17 years old, wanting to be on the TOUR, if I'd have told myself, if I knew I was going to win two majors, would I have taken that?"
Probably so. Maybe that is part of Daly's problem.
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