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It just wouldn't be the summer of 2009 if weather didn't play a factor in some way, shape or form.  We avoided weather delays and round suspensions the last two tournaments, and apparently Mother Nature wasn't too happy about being excluded, because she decided to rear her ugly pretty head again at the Wyndham Championship taking place in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Rain Suspends Play, Scores Stay Low

While the rain has completely suspended play, the one thing it hasn't been able to conquer were people's low scores before play was called off.  While only a few people are actually done with their rounds and dry in the clubhouse, the leaders, Chez Reavie and Brandt Snedeker are currently tied at -6 with more golf left to play once Mother Nature sees fit to let them do so.  Could the rain be making scores After the play is resumed even lower?  Things could slow down substantially on the greens and shots that look close might actually stay close.  Then again, they could be so slow that putting is hard to read.  I guess we'll see when and if the weather sees fit.

Daly Playing Great Golf...Finally

One player, who we actually just talked about today, that is shocking just about everyone that saw that he was entered in the tournament, is our good friend John Daly.  While his first round play at Hazeltine led directly to his withdrawl from the tournament, it looks like things might just be turning around as he's playing the best golf he's played in weeks and months.  So far he's through the 14th hole and is only 2 strokes off the lead at -4.  Whether or not he can keep it up, and whether or not his pre-existing injury will affect the remainder of his round I guess we'll have to wait and see, but as mentioned, we can't witness that until the rain stops.

Fingers Crossed We'll See A Round 1 Finish Today

Keep your fingers crossed things clear up because play is getting better by the hour.  Tune in, as always, it's getting great.

(Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

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It's been a year but I'm guessing two people, if you really had to narrow it down, haven't forgotten about what happened the last time John Daly played in Australia.  Those two, quite obviously, are John Daly and the poor fan who John Daly grabbed, snatched their camera and smashed it against a tree.  In case you didn't hear, you just heard right, last year in the Australian Open, Daly became a little, well, disgruntled and actually grabbed and subsequently smashed a fan's camera against a tree.  His actions resulted in a pretty good fine from the PGA Tour and a pretty upset fan.

Daly Having Rough Patch in Australia

Nevertheless, before the incident, Daly was actually a pretty popular golfer in Australia.  If his actions and behavior continues though, it remains to be seen how long those fans will stay loyal.  Last year, he made a few appearances in Australia and here's what happened:

"He missed three consecutive cuts last year on a late-season trip to Australia, where his history extends back seven years at Coolum. After taking a triple-bogey 7 on his last hole at the 2002 Australian PGA championships, Daly threw his putter and ball into a greenside pond and later failed to sign for a 78 on his scorecard, disqualifying himself from the tournament."

His Game Needs To Improve With His Attitude

If his actions do improve, Aussie golf fans will just have to hope his golf game improves with it.  After shooting some of the worst golf of his career the last few weeks, including pulling out of the PGA Championships after a first round 78 at Hazeltine (he cited a back injury), it has to make you wonder how his actual play will shape up when December 3 - 6 at Sydney's New South Wales Golf Club.  If things continue how they have been, it could be a very interesting return Down Under for Mr. Daly.

Good Luck Daly!

Nevertheless, despite the attitude, the legal problems and yes, the loud clothing, Daly is a golfer you just can't help but love and can't help but root for.  Looks like that same charm affects Australia too, as they were all too eager to have him back.  Good Luck Daly, we're rooting for you.

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In case you didn't see yesterday, John Daly set a new record for himself:  Worst score he's ever shot in a round at a PGA Event.  Ever.  That's right, after a 51 on his final nine holes, Daly was in the clubhouse with an awful, and depressing 88.  The question that golf fans around the world want answered today, however, is why?  What led to this record setting bad round and what's going on with John Daly?  Lucky for us, Daly and his swing coach might have a few answers.

Daly's Swing Coach Shocked

First and foremost, Rick Smith, John Daly's swing coach, believes that it can all be boiled down to absolute exhaustion, severe weight-loss and the general fatigue that is accompanying the two.  Smith was interviewed yesterday after Daly's 88 and had this to say after following him around the course Friday:

"I saw a guy I didn't know existed...What I saw today was scary. It was a literal disconnect. He hasn't eaten or slept in a week. His body needs food, and it's going to the muscle, and the muscle is breaking down to the point he's in a toxic state."

Lap-Band Surgery & Severe Weight Loss Hindering

The weight-loss Smith is referring to is the fact that Daly has dropped 80lbs over the last four months.  He had lap-band surgery a few months back and despite the fact that he's supposed to be taking in 1200 calories a day, has only been getting about 600.  Bottom line, it's been a rough few months for John Daly, a fact we've documented on this website as it's been happening, and hopefully things will turn around.

Daly Sounds Off

Daly himself actually had a few things to say as well, and it's heartbreaking to see his quote, and see just how badly he's feeling about his golf game right now:

"The last two weeks have been the first time in my career I didn't think I could win...I don't have the feel I used to have. I don't have the confidence. I just don't have it. I tried my (tail) off and shot 88. I've thrown in the towel and shot 82 when I quit. But I didn't quit this time. It was a weird feeling."

Whatever's going on with Daly, we hope it ends soon.  The Tour, as we mentioned, needs guys like him.

(image via Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

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Well he started off shaky and many, including myself, wondered if this was just going to be a repeat of the very unfortunate, and very odd British Open for Tiger Woods this year.  After his first round 71, granted not a BAD score by any stretch of the imagination, but considering there were other golfers coming in at -9 after the first round, I wondered if Tiger was going to have what it takes to even make a proper showing at the Buick.

Tiger Blisters Course and Ties for 3rd

And then came today's round.  That's right, any worries, any concerns have been erased after Tiger absolutely blistered the course and shot a second round 63 to propel himself to -10 and tied for third place.  Imagine rising that many places on the leaderboard after just one round.  Nevertheless, Tiger still has some work to do if he wants to repeat as champion at this tournament, currently there are two golfers ahead of him for the lead, both are in the clubhouse, one at -12 and one at -11.  Not to mention, there are four golfers tied for third place at -10 and 5 more just a stroke behind at -9.  To say there's some congestion atop the leaderboard is an understatement.

Daly Sees Worst Round in Recent Memory

While there's always two sides to a coin, a good side and a bad side, it looks like today's recipient of the 'bad side' was none other than John Daly.  While Tiger was rising UP the leaderboard, John Daly was catapulting down it.  Just how bad did things get for ol' Daly?  Try this on for size:

"He bogeyed No. 15, doubled No. 18 and made a quintuple-bogey 10 on the first hole. A quad, a triple, a double and a regular old bogey later and he was in with a 51 over his final nine holes."

That's right, all that combined to equal a second round 88, and lower Daly to dead last place and sitting at +16 after only two rounds.  Yikes.

Things Are Heating Up!

Nonetheless, tune in, it's always getting better.

(image via Graythen/Getty Images)

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I don't know how many lives this guy has in him, but when it comes to his life in the PGA Tour, someone out there is certainly looking out for John Daly.  Looks like John Daly is also looking out for his own PGA Tour life, and has been telling those in the 'know' that he's committed to bringing his game back to the Tour and staying there for good.  Whether or not that will happen remains to be seen, but in light of the recent negativity that has been surrounding the guy, we can only keep our fingers crossed.

Daly Gets Sponsor Exemption

That said, John Daly has indeed received a sponsors exemption to play in the Canadian Open, which takes place at the Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario, Canada from July 23rd to July 26.  Yes, that's the week after the British Open, which Daly might also play in as he has an exemption their as well, being a former champion.  Whether or not he plays, or better yet, whether or not he shows UP to play, we'll have to wait and see, but I truly hope Daly IS back on track and IS committed to getting his life, and golf game back in order.

Daly On European Tour

I was unaware, that Daly is currently in the middle of a three-week stretch on the European Tour, and he'll actually end that with the British Open.  You might remember, his not-so-triumphant return to the PGA Tour took place at the St. Jude Classic back in Memphis.  Daly ended that tournament tied for 59th place.  Not exactly where he, or his supporters, wanted to see him.

Daly Always Worth Rooting For

How will he do now?  We'll see, but it's John Daly, no matter what, we'll be entertained, and no matter what, we'll be rooting him on.

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Looks like John Daly just can't seem to catch a break anytime in the last, well, decade.  As you know, hemost recently made his not-so-triumphant return to the PGA Tour.  Unfortunately for Daly, his golf wasn't up to the hype about his return and he failed to make a very decent sized splash in the playing field.  Not long after that, you might remember a few days back, John Daly actually was involved in an RV accident that involved not only himself and his RV, but also a tunnel and another man's car.  While we still don't know how THAT will end, we do know the man he allegedly hit is suing him for damages and possibly even injuries.

Daly Loses Libel Lawsuit

Well, if you're a John Daly fan, the hits just keep on coming as things went from bad to much, much worse.  In case you were not aware, Daly has recently been involved in a libel lawsuit against the The Florida Times-Union for comments he believed were untrue and defamatory in nature back in 2005.  The lawsuit was actually dismissed in March of this year, Duval County Circuit Judge Hugh Carithers ruling that the statements made by columnist Mike Freeman were either true, or constitutionally protected as his opinion.

$272,000 In Damages

Now, we find out what John Daly has to pay to settle the legal fees and losses by the Florida Times-Union throughout the trial.  Cue bad news:

"Judge Hugh Carithers ordered Daly to pay $263,088 in attorney's fees, plus costs of $8,675.99 and 8 percent interest rate per year until it is paid."

Turn It Around Daly

That's right, Daly is responsible for $272,000 in damages.  Yikes.  Hopefully things can turn around for Daly, he's been having an extremely rough patch as of late.  We're still rooting for his golf career, so stay tuned to see how things turn out.

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Sometimes, just sometimes, someone makes winning a golf tournament look extremely easy.  This weekend, that man was Brian Gay, and now it looks like he better re-evaluate what he was sure to be a week off of golf this coming week, as he's officially pushed himself directly into the U.S. Open.  That's right, Brian Gay's impressive 5 stroke victory over the rest of the field gave him a punched ticket into Bethpage Black this week, an event he was almost positive he'd miss.

64-66-66-66 For Win

Brian Gay started out this tournament extremely strong 64 on the first round, and how did he follow it up?  How about shooting back-to-back-to-back 66's to end the tournament at 18-under-par.  How do you think the rest of the field felt trying to keep up?  David Toms shot 4 rounds in the 60's including a final round 65 and still came up 5 full strokes short.  Wow.  Nevertheless, it was impressive considering he only had a slim one-stroke lead after each of the first three rounds.  It took birdies on three of the first six holes he faced on Sunday to take any drama out of the day.  A final birdie on 18 sealed the deal and put 500 Fed Ex Cup points in his name, and a cool million dollars in his pocket.

Phil & Daly Tie for 59th

So how did Phil and Daly do?  A lot of eyes were on them for two very different reasons...Phil for the emotional response, and Daly for the welcome back party.  At the end of the day, perhaps the emotions got to Phil, and Daly wasn't quite as ready as he'd like to be to come back.  Both men ended the tournament at 1-over-par.  A closing round 75 put Mickelson a lot further down the leaderboard than he's accustomed to, but nevertheless, it was great to see both the bravery and the heart of him playing after receiving such terrible news.

U.S. Open is Next!

The bottom line is, this tournament made us absolutely excited for the U.S. Open.  Thank goodness we only have a few days to wait until the drama begins to unfold.  One thing is for sure, all eyes will be on Tiger and Phil, but it'll be good to see Brian Gay mix it up out there...let's just hope he's ready!

(Image via Badz/PGA TOUR)

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As you've most certainly noticed, the bright pants and extremely crazy patterns are hard to miss, John Daly is officially back on the PGA Tour, and man did we miss him.  He's playing decently so far at the St. Jude Classic, despite a few roller coaster holes, but what it all boils down to is this:  John Daly is a special golfer, and the PGA Tour needs him, and more people like him.  That said, he's also a bit different when it comes to the clubs he carries, and instead of using traditional fairway woods, he's opted for the hybrids.

Daly Plays Adams

As you can tell when you look, Daly is very obviously playing almost everything Adams.  With the exception of his putter and his wedges, he's an Adams man through and through, going with their Speedline Driver at 9.5°, and their Idea Pro Black line of irons from 3 to 9.  So what else is in the big man's bag?  Glad you asked...check out the full bag John Daly carries:

DRIVER: Adams Speedline (9.5°) with UST AXIVCore Tour Red 79 XX shaft
HYBRIDS: Adams Prototype (15°, 18°)
IRONS: Adams Idea Pro Black (3-9)
WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design (48°), Spin Milled (52°, 60°)
PUTTER:  Heavy Putter Mid-Weight K4
BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

Titleist Continues to Dominate

Always interesting to take a peek inside, and once again we're struck by just how many people play Titleist golf balls.  There's a reason they are the number one ball on tour and have been for years.  How will these clubs help Daly today and tomorrow, as he's officially made the cut and gets to play the weekend?  We'll see, but I know we'll be cheering for him.

Welcome Back John

If we've said it once, we've said it a million times, the tour NEEDS more golfers like John Daly.  I, for one, am glad to see him back in action.  Good luck John!

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Great news for any and all of you that have been seriously missing some John Daly in your golfing world!  Looks like rumors are reporting in that John Daly will finally be returning to the PGA Tour in about three weeks.  That's right, his suspension is finally coming to a close and he has been saying he'll return to golfing action in three weeks for the St. Jude Championship and the U.S. Open qualifier.

Daly Fresh Off Suspension

In case you were unaware, which is unlikely, Daly has been out of commission for awhile on the PGA Tour.  Here's a refresher course on why:

"Daly was suspended for six months in November after a series of off-course incidents that brought negative publicity, the most recent a photo of him in an orange jail suit with his eyes half-closed after being locked up overnight in North Carolina to get sober...He has played eight times overseas during his suspension, including a month in Europe, where he tied for second in the Italian Open."

When asked about just how ready, and how serious he'll be taking it once he finally does come back, Daly was quick to announce that he's coming back with not only a fresh body, but a fresh attitude.  According to reports, Daly said:

"I know I'll be ready to play...I'm not going to be (half-trying) like I've done in the past. I know I may not play the tour if something good doesn't happen. It's making me work harder.''

Back, But Can He Win?

Considering he hasn't won on the PGA Tour for over 5 years, he's going to need to be extremely ready to perform well against a competitive field that has done nothing but improve over the last half decade.  Nevertheless, the PGA Tour NEEDS John Daly, and all of us golf fans, need him too.  Welcome back John.

(Image via Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)