John Daly Is Coming to America, Will Play St. Jude Championship

John Daly is a lot like Johnny Depp: born in the South, in his 40s, loves kicking it in Europe, and now, thanks to lap-band surgery, looks unreasonably thin (well, relative to the old JD, anyway). And while he has yet to bust out the pirate ensemble (although I suspect it'll soon be in the rotation), he enjoys dressing up in funny outfits.

Now, after serving a six-month suspension, Daly will be back on the PGA Tour. The former two-time major winner is still without his card, but he'll be in the field at the St. Jude Championship in three weeks on a sponsor's exemption. Just like old times. Save the fact that he's 40 pounds lighter and probably playing some of his best golf in recent years.

He sandwiched a second-place finish at the Italian Open earlier this month around a T31st at the Spanish Open and a T-72nd at the BMW PGA Championship. It's not quite winning at Crooked Stick as the ninth alternate, but given how far Daly's fallen the last 15 years (in 1995, as a 29-year-old, he had won the PGA Championship and the British Open; now he currently ranks 641st in the world), it's something different. That's a start.

"I know I'll be ready to play," Daly said in a telephone interview from Wentworth, where he tied for 72nd at the BMW PGA Championship. "I'm not going to be (half-trying) like I've done in the past. I know I may not play the tour if something good doesn't happen. It's making me work harder."

Totally agree; way too much (half-trying) going on in the past. Glad to see Big John has finally addressed it. He also revealed that the Buick Open, set for late July, extended him an invite. So things are looking up. I remain cautiously optimistic because, well, this is JD we're talking about.

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem might never admit this publicly, but I imagine he'd love to see Daly succeed. (Of course, the PGA doesn't even admit to disciplining JD. Spokesman Ty Votaw told the AP that the tour does not comment on player discipline; it never confirmed that Daly was suspended, and now cannot confirm that a suspension has been lifted.) The economy is in the crapper, tournament sponsors are nervous, and when Tiger Woods isn't in the field, teevee ratings plummet.

JD counteracts that. And if he's playing well, he's probably the third most popular guy on tour behind Eldrick and Phil. Daly's resurgence is good for everybody.


First things first: showing up in Memphis and making the cut. If Big John has a good showing, other events (in addition to the Buick) might be willing to extend him an invite. Even though Daly told the AP that "I haven't done anything to hurt any of the tournaments," playing the weekend would be a nice change of pace.

Oh, and in case you're wondering why the PGA allegedly suspended JD, here ya go:

* Using former Tampa Bay Bucs coach Jon Gruden as his caddie following a rain delay at Innisbrook.

* While promoting a golf course in Missouri, doing a regional television interview wearing only blue jeans - no shirt, no shoes.

* Revving up the fans at the Buick Open by using a beer can as a tee during the pro-am while playing with Kid Rock.

* Spending a night in jail in North Carolina to get sober, and the subsequent jail photo that became an Internet sensation.