John Daly Shoots 68 at British Open; Could Mean Everything, Nothing

The last time John Daly won a major -- 14 years and countless mullet wig trims ago -- he fired an opening round 67. On Thursday at Turnberry, Daly, sporting a buzzcut , lap-band (not visible without surgical tools) and garish get-up, turned in a 68. This could be the first sign that his new-and-improved lifestyle and recommitment to golf is finally paying off. Or, just as likely, it could be nothing -- an aberration, the calm before the metaphorical storm.

My HausCast buddy Will Brinson rightly pointed out on our British Open Preview podcast that Daly is usually good for one really good round and one spectacularly awful one. The only question is which will come first. (Of course, Brinson promptly put down $25 on Daly to win this week, but that says more about being a degenerate gambler than a hardcore JD fan, I think.)

So after a solid Thursday showing, Daly is T21, four shots back of leader Miguel Angel Jimenez. As for what happens Friday? We wait.

Last month I wrote that, despite all of Daly's offseason rejiggering, the results (at least on the European Tour, where he spent much of 2009 while serving a six-month PGA Tour suspension) weren't much different than last year, one of the worst of Big John's professional career. But change comes slow.

That was the case with Tiger Woods who, under slightly different circumstances, underwent a swing change in 1998. He was inconsistent for more than a year, and then went on a decade-long tear.

It's much easier to be skeptical of Daly, primarily because he appeared more interested in singing drunken renditions of Knockin' on Heaven's Door at last call than trying to earn his PGA Tour card. Now, though, seems different.

Maybe he finally gets it. Or maybe it'll pass. Whatever, for the time being, it's a refreshing change from bloated mug shots and orange jump suits.

"Rick Smith has been a blessing; he's helped me an awful lot," Daly said. "And I think for me it's just keep doing what I'm doing and just try to hold on to the patience, because that's been my downfall over the years."

And unlike previous years when J.D.'s focus was on everything but golf, his Twitter feed suggests otherwise this time around: "Just had my dinner--ready for bed--goin [sic] to talk a bit with my gf & get in mode for [Thursday]...."

And then there's this: "My time on Turnberry is my santuary [sic], my protective environment from the chaos---Be in the moment & Win the British----JD"

Maybe Brinson's onto something. Or maybe it's the matching clown suits. We'll find out shortly.