EUROPEAN TOUR:JOHN DALY has always been a colourful character, but for his return to golf in the Spanish Open this weekend he is taking it to a whole new level.
Banned by the US Tour for six months in November – just after he was taken into jail to sober up – and nearly four stone lighter following lap-band stomach surgery in February, Daly is in Europe for the next month.
He could be seen for miles in yesterday’s pro-am at PGA Golf de Catalunya near Girona because of an orange shirt and a pair of outrageous trousers even Ian Poulter might think twice about wearing.
In pink and orange harlequin check, they are by a company called “Loudmouth Golf”.
Daly said: “It gets brighter than these, but I like that stuff – and nobody else has thrown things my way.”
Daly’s collapse to his current 788th in the world and his long list of adverse publicity has left the American, 43 on Tuesday, without any sponsors for the first time since he stunned the sporting world with his victory in the 1991 US PGA championship.
While admitting he owes taxes and has lost “a ton of money” on the stock market, Daly insists the main driving force when he tees off for the first time since December’s Australian Open is to prove things to himself.
He hasn’t won for five years and he has had only one top-20 finish in almost two years, but he stated: “Hopefully I can win again.”
He is down already from 20 stone to just over 16 and his target is to lose about two more stone.
Daly also plays the Italian and Irish Opens the next two weeks, then the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and possibly the European Open at The London Club in Kent before returning to the States.
Favourite for a title won in Seville last year by Ireland’s Peter Lawrie is home hope Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano – second in his last three starts, including two play-off defeats.
Lawrie will defend his title and the Irish challenge is completed by Paul McGinley, Damien McGrane, Michael Hoey, Gary Murphy and Jonathan Caldwell.
THE LOWDOWN
Course:PGA Golf de Catalunya (Green course), Girona
Length:7,172 yards. Par: 72.
Prizemoney:€2 million, €331,155 for the winner.
Field:156.
Defending champion:Peter Lawrie beat Ignacio Garrido in a play-off.
Layout:Generous fairways with well-guarded greens.
On TV:Sky Sports 1 (10.30am today)
Weather:Cloudy, temperatures in high 60s.
