Daly Feels Terrific, Proves It With 64

John Daly can’t remember the last time he had a drink. He can’t remember when his body felt this good. His face went blank Thursday when asked the last time he shot a 64.

“I’m a little shocked myself,” Daly said after a round of six-under-par 64 that gave him a share of the lead with Brad Faxon and Larry Mize in the Sony Open at Honolulu.

Looking as fit as he has in years, and pounding it as hard as ever, Daly made seven birdies and only one mistake at windy Waialae Country Club for his lowest score in three years.

“My game feels good when I get on the course,” Daly said. “I think all the hard word is starting to pay off.”

Mize, among the afternoon starters, was not surprised to see that Daly had set the target Thursday, especially after they played the final round together last week in the Tucson Open.

“I felt like he was close to playing good,” Mize said.

The 1987 Masters champion wasn’t bad himself. After a three-putt for bogey on the first hole, he chipped in for birdie, holed two 30-foot putts and also a 50-footer for birdie on the 16th.

“I wasn’t expecting a 64 when I teed it up,” Mize said. “I scored better than I played.”

Faxon joined the leaders with two par-saving putts from six feet late in his round, and a 20-foot eagle putt on the 18th. Richie Coughlan of Ireland had a 65.

Gary Nicklaus blocked out the bad memories of the ninth hole, where he had a 12 in the final round last year. He was eight strokes better Thursday--a birdie--and had a 66, putting him in a large group that included Tom Lehman, Carlos Franco and Jim Furyk, who won the Mercedes Championships last week in Maui.

Ernie Els, Masters champion Vijay Singh and Tucson Open winner Garrett Willis were among those at 68.

Defending champion Paul Azinger had a 72.

The Sony Open turned out to be a rebirth for Azinger last year, his first victory since he was diagnosed with lymphoma in 1993. Daly can’t even imagine what it would mean to him if he could put together three more rounds like the one he had Thursday.

“It would probably be the biggest win in my life,” said the former PGA and British Open champion, who has gone through two stints in alcohol rehabilitation.

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South Korea’s Mi Hyun Kim shot an eight-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Australia’s Wendy Doolan in the Subaru Memorial of Naples in Florida.

Kim, the 1999 LPGA rookie of the year, birdied eight of the first 12 holes in the opening round to finish a stroke off Karrie Webb’s tournament record.

Kelli Kuehne and Eva Dahllof opened with 66s, and Brandie Burton, Betsy King, Laura Diaz, Jean Bartholomew, Heather Bowie, Dawn Coe-Jones, Helen Dobson, Cathy Gerring and Vicki Goetze-Ackerman shot 67s. Webb, Beth Daniel and 1999 champion Meg Mallon topped a 15-player group at 68.