Daly Talks About Struggle for Sobriety Affecting Him

John Daly said Tuesday the struggle of living a sober life--and the tensions of poor golf--led to a burst of temper that caused his latest suspension from the PGA Tour.

“That’s the thing I want to stress the most, that I am not drinking again,” Daly said in his first public comments since the suspension was announced Sunday. “I’ll go get tested . . . if people want me to do that.”

Daly shot a four-under 68 during an exhibition at the Club de Golf Chapultepec outside Mexico City on Tuesday. It was a warm-up for the Mexican Open, a non-PGA event starting Thursday. He is ineligible to play in the Shark Shootout Nov. 18-21 or the Skins Game Nov. 27-28. He has been replaced by Arnold Palmer in the Skins Game.

Daly was suspended for picking up his ball without holing out after missing a birdie putt on the 11th hole at the Kapalua International in Hawaii on Friday.

“It was just one of those days that nothing was going right and it was a reflex of frustration,” Daly said. “What I did was wrong.”

He said he has been struggling since returning from another suspension this year when he went through a three-week alcoholism treatment program.

“It wasn’t something so severe like I hurt myself or I hurt somebody else, like it could have been when I used to drink,” he said. “It’s somewhat of a depression that as an alcoholic, we go through. I mean, I’ve been drinking since I was 8 years old, 10 years old, and my body functions are a lot different.”

He said pressure never bothered him until he got sober.

“You know, things bother you more,” he said. “It’s the first time I’ve felt pain.”

He noted that he bundled up this year to play the British Open. At another time, he said, he might have played in only a sweater.

“It’s the first time I’ve felt cold,” he said.

Daly won the 1991 PGA Championship as a rookie at Carmel, Ind. His only other tour victory came last year in the B.C. Open at Endicott, N.Y.

His life has been in turmoil during the last year. Daly’s wife charged he trashed their home and assaulted her last December, but she later dropped the charges. Divorce proceedings are under way.

“I’ve been really stressed out,” he said. “But it’s been weird because everybody around me says, ‘Man, you’re doing so good,’ and I said, ‘God, well I feel like crap.’ ”

He went on eating binges, but said he has dropped 25 pounds.

“This year, I haven’t been able to worry about golf,” Daly said. “It’s been drinking, M&Ms;, burgers, personal problems. . . . It’s almost behind me.

“I’ve got to move on and find some positive in my life and there’s been a lot of positive that everyone sees. Everyone says I’m a better person now, but in my golf game, I haven’t gotten any results.”

He said PGA Commissioner Deane Beman had not specified the length of the suspension and he is not sure if he will appeal.

“There’s plenty of other tournaments I’ll be able to play in . . . and it gives me time to sit back and think about what I’m going to do,” Daly said. “It gives me a lot of time to spend with my daughter.

“I have to get relaxed and play a round of golf like I did here today.”