ACE GOLF Update on JOHN DALY

By Mulligan StuPosted on Fri Dec 14, 2007 at 09:50:05 AM EDT
That's the first question, and it comes with a caveat: It applies only to his approach to golf, not his approach to life.
And it also comes with a follow-up, but only if the answer to the first question is "yes" (a prospect I find dubious): Is it too late?
As has been reported previously, John Daly has signed on with Butch Harmon to "get serious" about his game:
"Butch will push you. I never had anybody push me to do things," Daly said last week. "I need to be pushed hard. It's something that maybe should have been done a long time ago, but I was too stubborn. You get a little older and your eyes don't see things and you don't feel the same as you would normally."
I'm sure that all the tournament sponsors and fans disappointed over the years when Daly walked out on them, or just phoned it in, are taking comfort in the fact that Daly's eyes have finally been opened.
Well, we shouldn't reach that conclusion too quickly. Daly says the right things about Harmon pushing him, but we know two things about this relationship:
Harmon does push his players, and he gives it to them straight.
Daly has never surrounded himself with people such as those in No. 1.
So it should be an interesting relationship, if it lasts. If it doesn't last, I think it's more likely it might fail because Daly can't handle Harmon's regimen, rather than Harmon being unable to handle Daly. Think about it: Corralling John Daly and resurrecting his game? That'd be more impressive than anything Harmon did with Tiger Woods. With Woods, he had a student of immense mental acuity and intense dedication and focus.
Daly is a nitwit whose main focus is on beer. But he does have great golf skills, much better than his record - two majors notwithstanding - has shown. Prodigious power with a gentle touch and underrated short game.
If Daly really is serious, perhaps it's not too late to add a few more wins. The talent has always been there. Now we'll truly find out whether - and how much - Daly cares.