By Ray Buck
MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- Experience. Coming in, that's all anybody was talking about needing to even have a chance to win this PGA Championship. Dumb us. We weren't thinking of John Daly, who probably has had more experiences than anybody in this tournament. That's right, the man who introduced sound to the PGA Tour with his thunderous drives, and trouble to himself with his past drinking binges, went out Thursday and made Winged Foot cry uncle. He was atop the leader board still long past the lunch hour with a first-round, 4-under 66. IT WAS QUITE A STARE-DOWN CONTEST, but Winged Foot blinked first -- this diabolical design with its eight- and nine-inch rough and bunkers so steep and greens so sloped that chipping out of trouble can only be described as pitch-and-pray. Daly is back, not just as a world-class golfer but also as a recovering alcoholic. "Golf and the disease (alcoholism) are pretty similar -- golf is an addiction, so is alcoholism," Daly said after his round. "I'm learning that I can't think too far ahead. I can't see the future. I'm taking it one day at a time, one shot at a time." ALWAYS ONE OF THE MOST AFFABLE players, as well as one of the longest hitters on tour, Daly today looks ... well, like he used to look. "I feel great," he said Thursday. "I think I weighed 190 when I came out on Tour in '91. I weigh about 195 right now. I have a lot of energy, something I haven't had since '91. It feels good to be focused for 18 holes rather than just nine or 10 (holes)." You remember the infamous Daly Exit at the U.S. Open in June. After shooting a first-round 77 at Congressional, Daly left after nine holes on the second day without telling his caddie or his playing partners. He jumped in his car and headed home to Memphis. The following week, he checked himself into the Betty Ford Clinic. Someone asked him Thursday if his subdued manner, both on the course and in the interview room, are part of the recovering process. "I'm always scared what is going to happen next," Daly said. "I used to pump my fist when I hit a big shot. Now I'm more relaxed. I try to keep my emotions level ... not get too far up or too far down." The first words out of Daly's mouth after his amazing first round Thursday were in response to how he felt: "Pretty much in shock," he said, honestly. He was even-par through nine, but then his putter heated up -- ironically -- as the course became even more demanding. On the front, he birdie Nos. 5 and 7. On the back , he birdied Nos. 10, 11, 17 and 18. Overall, he mostly stayed out of trouble. "There's just no way to advance the ball more than 120, 130 yards out of the rough here," he said. "You know it's really tough when you barely miss the fairways and don't have a shot. This is the deepest rough I've ever seen." Of his four birdies on the back nine, three came on putts of one, four and six feet. His short-iron game was on. He hasn't been able to cut back on cigarettes but the drink is completely out of his life now, and so are the Dunkin' Donuts. HE HAS LEARNED TO MODERATE HIS EATING habits. His only weakness? Chocolate yogurt mixed with chunks of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Good or bad, Daly has never done anything quietly. His alcohol dependency and divorces have been made public, along with his fun-loving nature, as well as his blackouts and rage. When asked if he feels he has been given a second chance in life, Daly replied, "I believe I've had 15 chances in life." His erratic behavior at the U.S. Open came on the heels of signing on with Calloway golf equipment, and led many to wonder if he had just cost himself millions of endorsement dollars. Calloway, however, stuck with him. If he rebounds at a major like the PGA Championship and rekindles his once-lost career, Calloway will have a whole new advertising campaign: "Golf Sticks With A Heart." "All Calloway wants from John Daly is to try his best and do the things off the golf course that he needs to do. To them, that's more important than golf right now," said Daly, who has never been made to feel that he must score low, finish high to earn his keep. "There's no pressure from (Calloway)," said Daly, "but there is pressure from me to have success because I believe in myself. When my golf game is good, I should have success." On Thursday, John Daly's game was very good. And so was life.
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