Daly Update: John's comeback

By REX HOGGARD
Senior Writer, GolfChannel.com

DORAL, Fla. – Although it is still unclear when American galleries will see John Daly again, European crowds should expect to be cheering the two-time major champion soon.
 
According to Bud Martin, Daly’s manager with SFX World, Daly has spent the time since his last start in December working on his game and his body to prepare for a comeback that will likely start in late April on the PGA European Tour.
 
Although Martin said he is still negotiating with European officials, the plan is for Daly to play three or four events in Europe. After that, however, it is unclear when he will be able to return to the PGA Tour.
 

In December, Daly told the Associated Press he is serving a six-month PGA Tour mandated suspension. It was the second time Daly has been suspended for his conduct, although Tour officials declined to confirm the suspension citing the circuit’s policy not to disclose disciplinary action.
 
Martin said Daly has spent his time since his last Tour start (Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in October) working on his game in Tampa, Fla., with swing coach Rick Smith and getting in shape.
 
“He’s looking forward to reclaiming his place in the game,” Martin said.
 
Martin said Daly has lost about 40 pounds and is almost fully recovered from the rib injury that slowed him in 2008 and should be, “100 percent” recovered by April.
 
“To play for a long period of time everybody has to take care of their bodies and I’m really proud of him keeping his body in shape,” said Smith, who began working with Daly the week before last year’s PGA Championship.
 
“We looked at tapes from the British Open (1995) that he won and decided to get his body back to that is a good goal. He played tremendously to win that British.”
 
Smith did not characterize the work he is doing with Daly as a swing overhaul, and he raved about the 42-year-old’s flexibility.
 
“His golf swing is still long. I’m not trying to shorten his swing, but the techniques we’ve had success with is some pretty simple stuff,” said Smith, who worked with Daly last month and plans to meet with him again in April.
 
Smith said he’s trying to keep Daly’s club on plane more consistently throughout the swing. He also said the two have been working to improve Daly’s putting, which had slid to a career-worst 1.84 average in 2008.
 
Smith and Martin were encouraged by Daly’s work on and off the golf course, the latter being a constant in a career that has been defined by historic highs, like his 1991 PGA Championship and ’95 British titles, and headline grabbing lows, such as his two trips to alcohol rehab, four marriages and gambling losses.
 
According to Daly, it was four separate incidents that led to his suspension, which he estimated ended in May in the Associated Press story.
 
“I’ve said this before, I’m not his daddy, but I do care about him and he’s a good person,” Smith said. “He’s dealt with a lot of adversity and you have to deal with that. You have to ask yourself, how do I overcome adversity and you have to attack it.”
 
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