"'Can you please go on the Golf Channel and make a retraction?'"

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Bob Harig fleshes out the Daly-Harmon saga, and includes this from Butch:

Reached Wednesday at his golf school near Las Vegas, Harmon had a different version of the conversation.

"John called me last Thursday," Harmon said. "His opening line to me was 'I've lost all my contracts because of what you said. Can you please go on the Golf Channel and make a retraction?'"

This could be the ultimate sign that we should be concerned about John Daly's well being: he thinks a statement on The Golf Channel would actually be heard by a sizeable audience? Get this man help! 

“This is just another strange chapter in the John Daly saga"

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Steve Eubanks follows up on John Daly's remarks in Spain Wednesday about Butch Harmon apologizing for not getting facts right about Long John's drinking regimin.
“That story is complete BS,” Harmon told Yahoo! Sports. “John Daly called me last Thursday and said, ‘Pro you killed me. I’ve lost all my contracts.’ I said to him, ‘John, I’m sorry you lost your contracts, but I haven’t done anything to you. You did it to yourself, and you continue to do it to yourself.’ He asked if I would go on the record with a retraction, and I said no.”

Harmon had installed certain guidelines for Daly to follow for the two to continue working together. They included the pledge that Daly would curtail his drinking and get himself in better shape. When Daly failed to keep his end of the agreement, Harmon fired him in early March.

“This is just another strange chapter in the John Daly saga,” Harmon said. “He takes no responsibility for anything.”

As for Daly’s recent statements, the only thing Harmon agrees with is that the two will not be working together again in the foreseeable future. “Not going to happen,” Harmon said.

John Daly...There Are No Words

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As reader Chuck noted, words fail to describe the video report of John Daly talking about his design work at, well, I don't know even know the name of the course. I was too distracted by the sight of him shirtless and shoeless for a photo op. Which prompted reader Gregory to wonder if John has set the new standard for staged architect photo ops? I think he may be onto something.

A flavor of what the video shows...

JohnDalynoshirt2.pngJohnDalynoshirt.png 

 

John Daly Rehabs...

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...an injury. Yes, that's right, Doug Ferguson reports on the minor surgery Daly recently underwent. More stunning is the news from his doctor that Long John engaged in rehab of an injury.

Daly has cited injury as the primary reason for his poor play over the last two years, during which he has withdrawn eight times and missed the cut 14 times in 33 events. The injury dates to the ‘07 Honda Classic, when he tried to stop his swing upon hearing the click of a fan’s camera. More than a year later, his doctor believes he found the problem.

The surgery was to repair a torn muscle in his stomach.

“When he tried to stop swinging at the Honda Classic, he tore his rotator cuff and he also dislocated two rib joints where they attach to the spine,” said Dr. Steve Whitelaw, who works with the Arkansas Razorbacks. “We rehabbed all that, but the whole time he had dislocated ribs, he tore the ligaments around them.”

Whitelaw said when Daly complained of more pain, they ran a full body scan and discovered the muscle tear in the stomach.

“It was not attached, and the muscle shrunk down,” he said. “When he swings, he uses that area with his stomach and core strength. He could only go so long without hurting. He was in a cycle he could not get out of.”

In more ways than one. 

"I don't need a coach. I need a woman in my life."

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Okay, John Daly's drinking is a concern, but going through divorce number four and saying things like this takes it to another level. From an unbylined Irish Independent story:

"I don't need a coach," said Daly, reportedly going through his fourth divorce. "I need a woman in my life.

"Once I start playing great golf again, everything will be all right. Now I'm getting poured on, but when I'm playing great, everybody talks about how great I am. That's the way it's always worked.

"I'm hitting the ball great. I'm close now. New Orleans is going to be a great week."

Read it and weep!

One of the most sober assessments of Daly's current predicament was made by Pat Perez, probably one of his closest friends on Tour.

"It used to be cool to hang out with JD and go out and party ... but now you can't drink with him because you're really contributing to something really terrible."

 

"That's why it was a no-brainer for the Buick Open to offer Daly an exemption for this year's tournament when he asked for one."

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Carlos Monarrez writes that John Daly deserved the sponsor's invite awarded this week from the Buick Open folks in spite of his recent behavior.

Fans love him for it. After all, it's not about what sports writers, coaches and other pros think of Daly. It's about what he gives fans -- a refreshing dose of honesty among the cookie-cutter world of pro golf.

That's why it was a no-brainer for the Buick Open to offer Daly an exemption for this year's tournament when he asked for one.
Okay fine. And this was a nice touch from Daly:

On the day after Harmon dismissed him, Daly was disqualified from the Bay Hill Invitational for missing his Wednesday pro-am tee time. It was an honest mistake. Daly, who already had played in the Monday pro-am, got the wrong tee information from the tournament office. Daly apologized to tournament host Arnold Palmer and went so far as to track down three corporate representatives from his amateur group and played a round with them Sunday.

pga_g_imada_600.jpgBut here's the problem...

The truth is that Daly's behavior rarely hurts anyone but himself.

Bob Harig notes that Ryuji Imada might not agree with that statement.

Daly Misses Pro-Am Tee Time, So Do Alternates

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Bob Harig reports. Apparently Sean O'Hair Nick O'Hern and another player pegged as pro-am field alternates were not there either, so they may face disqualification from the Arnold Palmer Invitational as well. Ian Poulter stepped in for Daly.

Harmon Revokes Daly's Hall Pass

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Tim Rosaforte's original February note on John Daly and Butch Harmon resurfaces in the April Golf Digest, and includes this from Harmon:

"I told [John] to look in the mirror to see the guy who's causing all the problems. On tour, he needs to stay on his bus, stay out of the Hooters and the bars. I told him, 'If you can't do that, we don't have a deal."

Harmon added, "I gave him one hall pass. One is all I'm going to give him."
ALeqM5i2UuMmncnsQYJESYshumcAw7XCWgNot surprisingly, Daly's well documented weekend foray into the Hooter's pavillion did it for Harmon. From a Doug Ferguson wire report:
"My whole goal for him was he's got to show me golf is the most important thing in his life," Harmon said from his golf school in Las Vegas. "And the most important thing in his life is getting drunk."
No one can accuse Butch of holding back. 
"I've let him know that after his actions of last weekend, we are no longer together," Harmon said. "In all honesty, I'm a very busy person. I'm willing to help the kid, but until he helps himself and makes golf his No. 1 priority, I'm not his guy.

"Jon Gruden caddying, I thought was ridiculous. I thought he made a circus out of the whole event."

Daly, who is playing the Arnold Palmer Invitational on a sponsor's exemption, could not be located for comment.

A Day At The Hooter's Owl's Nest With John Daly!

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img10697926.jpgAnwar Richardson reported on John Daly's visit to the Hooter's Owl's Nest, which included this bizarre photo slideshow and accompanying audio where you can hear John sloshed.

The Richardson piece prompted Steve Elling to suggest that Tim Finchem be Dean Wormer to John Daly's Kent Dorfman.

From the Richardson write-up:

Daly, whose best finish this year was tied for 60th in the Mayakoba Golf Classic, and his associates gave a news photographer who tried to take photos of him the middle finger. One member of Daly's group mooned the photographer, resulting in boyish laughter from his group.

The golfing Buddha also willingly autographed Trinity resident Kim Geiger's jeans, who bent over and offered her backside as his canvas.

"I go, 'Here I am again. I'm your worst nightmare.' He goes, 'Oh no you're not, honey. As a matter of fact, I like it when you walk away,'" Geiger said. "He goes, 'I like your butt. I'm an butt man.' He goes, 'And you have a nice butt.' Yeah baby, he likes my butt."

"He's like Randy Moss"

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In the latest installment of John Hawkins' Agnostic Golfer column, he buries this lede on John Daly:

I called several tournament heads last week to get a read on whether Daly's ability to sell tickets is worth the headache he has become. Kennerly didn't return my phone call, but others were quick to reply, and there remains little doubt that Long John Seismograph moves the needle more than a hundred John Sendens. "It's a pretty easy decision for us," says Clair Peterson, who runs the John Deere Classic and already has extended Daly an offer to join the field in July.

"He's like Randy Moss," says another. "He's a freak, he can be a huge burden, but in terms of what he brings you, it's a very unique dynamic. The NASCAR crowd, whatever you want to call it, is why 80 to 90 percent of the events will give him an exemption if he's anywhere near the top 100."

Or 531st, which is where Daly currently resides in the World Ranking, as if the NASCAR gang really gives a Hooters how well their man has been playing or whether he'll ever contend again on the weekend. The recent face-saving contest between PGA Tour brass and Westchester CC reminds us that every sputtering, non-Tiger event is a possible endangered species. Perhaps 15 to 18 tournaments are in excellent health; the rest lack significance or sound economics.

Make that two buried ledes: First is that tournament directors still want John Daly, and two, that the non-Tiger events are so desperate they will actually take someone totally unreliable and clearly melting down.  

"That the tour is looking into Daly's week at the Hope is a good sign."

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Thanks to reader Taylor for noticing Larry Bohannan's story on John Daly's "lost weekend" in the desert, which raises some tough questions about Daly's future both in this game and sadly, on this planet.

And he seems to be losing whatever battle he's putting up against his excesses. Alcohol, food, cigarettes and partying are all evident. Maggie Downs, a Desert Sun reporter who doesn't really know all the back story on John, just what she was seeing last week as she covered the Hope's celebrity parties, reported on her blog that Daly told her to write that he wasn't drinking at one party as he was knocking back a shot of something alcoholic.

Let's just say I trust Maggie to tell the facts more than I'd trust Daly right now.

This goes well beyond the idea that Daly pulled out of a tournament. This is about a life that many observers believe is in danger. A 41-year-old, 300-pound man who drinks and smokes and eats to excess is in danger of a massive heart attack or stroke.

Forget that he is one of the most physically talented players in the world, when he's focused and wants to play. This is a man who seems unable to control his worst characteristics. Those who have known Daly and have been around him believe he is headed down the road to a sad end.

For all the hushed whispers and huddled meetings about Daly by PGA Tour officials in the last week, the tour might not be able to do much for Daly, because he doesn't really work for the tour. Tour players are independent contractors.

That the tour is looking into Daly's week at the Hope is a good sign.