Daly Finding Rhythm, Harmony

In a new television commercial for Callaway, John Daly is sitting on a stool strumming a guitar. Graham Nash, of the band Crosby, Stills and Nash, walks over and tells Daly that he thought they were going to play a little.

So they do. Daly gives Nash a guitar lesson and Nash gives Daly a golf lesson.

Back in real life, the new version of John Daly says he’s at peace with himself. This a lot different from the old version, which tended to mess up a lot and cause really big headaches.

As he heads into 1998, his eighth year on the tour, Daly is lighter (his weight is down to 190), happier (he’s sober) and optimistic (“I’m hitting the ball real good.”)

These are all considered good signs for Daly, 32, who has reinvented himself so often, he should be wearing a lab coat.

It has been six years since Daly won the PGA at Crooked Stick when he showed up in a smoking jalopy, two years since he won the British Open at St. Andrews, eight months since he checked into the Betty Ford Clinic and seven months since his wife filed for divorce.

Since then, Daly withdrew from the U.S. Open, missed the cut in four of his last six tournaments, lost his endorsement deals for golf clothing and clubs and signed on with Callaway.

So what kind of year has 1997 been? A year of change, he said.

“Yeah, there’ve been a lot of changes . . . wife, clubs, clothes. But I’m getting back my rhythm. I just want to get back to what I did in 1991. The more I played, the more rhythm I got, the better I played.”

Daly said he will play 25 to 30 tournaments in 1998, at least five of them on the West Coast: the Bob Hope, Tucson, Phoenix, the Nissan Los Angeles Open and the Buick Invitational at La Jolla.

What we should expect from him on the course is not yet known, but there have been hints. Daly, playing with Fuzzy Zoeller in this weekend’s Shark Shootout, put up a 60 in a pro-am last week at Ojai.

Off the course, Daly is trying to keep himself on the fairway and out of the rough. He attends regular Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, travels from event to event in his motor home and keeps his life together.

Paulette Daly filed for divorce when Daly was at the Betty Ford and the hurt hasn’t gone away. Daly said he still loves Paulette, but he hasn’t seen her since he got drunk and passed out in their hotel room at The Players Championship in March.

He won only $106,762 and had one top-10 finish in 1997--at the Bob Hope, which was his first tournament of the year. That only means he has something to shoot for in 1998.

“Next year, I’m going to worry about me,” he said. “That sounds selfish, but I mean it in a good way.

“I’m living a totally new life. It’s awesome. I’ve never been so much at peace with myself.”

CAN’T PICTURE IT

After winning three tournaments in a row, David Duval may be the hottest player in golf. However, not in the Shark Shootout program, where the picture with Duval’s biographical profile is of Andrew Magee.

TIP: WIN IN 1998

Since points for the 1999 Ryder Cup won’t begin to be counted until January at the Mercedes Championships, Duval earned zero points for his three consecutive tournament victories.

FAST COMPANY

Greg Norman, that noted thrill seeker, is going to drive the pace car at next year’s Indianapolis 500.

It’s nothing more than the latest episode in Norman’s continuing quest to go higher or faster or deeper. Norman has flown an F-14 Tomcat and landed it on an aircraft carrier, flown in a Phantom 4 and an F-16 and once swam in a cage next to a great white shark.

LPGA: MONEY NEWS

She has won five times, nearly $1.1 million and wrapped up her second player-of-the-year award, but Annika Sorenstam still hasn’t guaranteed herself a second money title.

With only next week’s ITT LPGA Tour Championship left on the schedule, Sorenstam has won $1,107,789 and Karrie Webb has won $947,356.

If Webb wins next week, she gets $160,000, which means Sorenstam could finish no lower than fourth and keep the money title.

Webb, who has won three times this year, does have the edge on Sorenstam for the Vare Trophy for best stroke average, 70.01 to 70.08.

Sorenstam said winning tournaments is more important than winning money.

“The last two years, I’ve made more money than I ever thought I could,” she said. “Money is a short-term motivator. Honor to me and prestige is far more important--the personal satisfaction of winning or shooting a super-low score.”

The player-of-the-year award is based on points for tournament finishes, and Sorenstam said it’s a fair way to choose.

“I guess since I’m on top, I like the system,” she said.

DAVIS LOVE $$$

Here’s another reason why it’s good to be Davis Love III. Besides winning his first major at the PGA and the Buick Challenge, he won $492,000 in the last two weeks by finishing third at the Tour Championship and winning at Kapalua on Maui.

If that isn’t enough, Love left Maui and flew to San Francisco to go fishing in Northern California with Mike Hulbert, then heads back to Hawaii for the PGA Grand Slam and a chance to win $400,000.

JUNIOR GOLF

George Bush is the honorary chairman of the First Tee, an ambitious program designed to create 100 programs and facilities in the next two years for young people.

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem noted that only 2% of children between 11 and 17 are introduced to golf each year.

“Those numbers have to change,” Finchem said.

EXEMPTION UPDATE

Zoeller, Bruce Lietzke and Chip Beck didn’t finish in the top 125 on the money list, so to remain exempt for 1998, they are using their one-time, one-year exemption by virtue of being in the top 50 all-time money winners.

Steve Pate and John Mahaffey did the same thing this year. Pate finished 95th on the money list and retained his playing privileges. Mahaffey, who made one cut all year, didn’t.

BIRDIES, BOGEYS, PARS

Openings for amateurs still are available for the Skins Game pro-am, Nov. 28 at Rancho La Quinta Country Club. Details (760) 564-8910. . . . Attention, frequent fliers: Someone can win 10 million frequent flier miles by holing out from 150 yards during the Diners Club matches, Dec. 11-14 at PGA West. Qualifying rounds will be held beginning Saturday at six courses in the Palm Springs area. A $5 entry fee benefits high school golf programs in Palm Desert, Indio or Palm Springs. Details: (760) 777-0150.

Amy Alcott, Robin Walton, Allison Finney, Caroline Pierce, Connie Chillemi, Missie Berteotti and Krystal Parker-Gregory are among the LPGA players who will participate in the LPGA Urban Youth Golf Pro-Am that will be held Monday at Woodland Hills Country Club. Details: (310) 641-6477. . . . The Crippled Children’s Society of Southern California tournament will be played Monday at Wilshire Country Club. Details: (213) 874-3300.