Two weeks ago, John Daly made his first PGA Tour appearance of the year. Thanks to a sponsor's exemption, he was in the field at the St. Jude Classic, and not only did he make the cut, his four days in Memphis were relatively uneventful. No pit stops at the Hooters hospitality tent, no on-course outbursts. Just JD, dressed like an overweight Carnaval performer, taking in a leisurely 72 holes of golf.
If nothing else, it was different.
Now Daly's back in Europe, where he has spent most of this season, competing in the BMW International Open. He shot an opening round 74, good for T112, 10 shots behind Day 1 leader Retief Goosen.
But for John, this is a process. Playing better golf, taking a less reckless approach to his personal life -- it's all part of the deal. And for the first time, well, ever, he seems to not only understand the implications, but is taking them to heart.
"I think I'm more serious about it," he said by phone before leaving for Germany. "I'm not the kind of guy who can stop and sign autographs anymore. . . . I just need to stay focused."And the svelte-ish figure? His new ladyfriend explains that JD is impervious to diets.
"John and I dieted together," explains Anna Cladakis, the former Hooters promotions director who has been his girlfriend/manager for 18 months. "It didn't matter what kind of diet he did. Then he just happened to meet a couple of doctors in Clearwater. . . ."Shocking that Cladakis was affiliated with Hooters.
But, right, things are looking up for Big John. As for what this means for the rest of his career, or how long he will be able to avoid the siren call of beer and hot wings is another issue. But for now, he seems reinvented. It's a start.
