John Daly Pleased to Have Career Mulligan (Video)

By Kathlene Bissell | May 4, 2016

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 09: John Daly poses with Anna Cladakis on Washington Road before the third round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2016 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images for Golfweek) /

Everybody would like to have an occasional mulligan – John Daly got one!

John Daly held a conference call with members of the golf media prior to his PGA Tour Champions debut at the Insperity Invitational, in Houston. It was a new, mature-sounding Daly. He’s enthusiastic about joining the senior circuit, hoping to play in as many events as he and his bus can get to during the remainder of 2016.

“I’m really excited, one, to make it to 50,” he said, which drew laughs, “and two, just to be able to have kind of a home to play again. It’s been pretty tough the last few years not knowing where I’m going to play and waiting by the phone on exemptions.”

In other words, he’s pleased to have the mulligan.

“In the ’90s with the physical ability I had, and if I had the physical ability I have with my mental attitude right now, I’d feel a lot better,” he admitted. “I wish I would have had the mental attitude back in the ’90s like I do now. I think I wasted my talent in the ’90s, especially towards the later part of the ’90s.”

More from Pro Golf Now

Daly said when he first got to the PGA Tour, he didn’t do the right things to prepare to win tournaments.

“You know, that’s definitely on me, and I admit that. But that’s just not the case anymore for me. I’m just kind of a grinder now,” he added.

Daly joins the PGA Tour Champions with a special category on points that includes his victories in the PGA Championship and British Open. He’s exempt fully for two years, and he looks forward to playing longer than that, at least five years.

Because he’s had to rely on sponsor exemptions in many recent seasons, he has not been able to set a schedule. Now he will be able to plan for the rest of this year and for the next.

More from Champions tour

His game – his awesome combination of power and touch—is rusty. He hopes it will come back to him quickly.

“Hopefully, if I get a few rounds under my belt, a few tournaments under my belt, hopefully, there will be some signs of some confidence, and hopefully start playing real well,” he said. “I’m not looking to do anything great this week here at Insperity in Houston. I’m just happy to be playing and getting a feel for it.”

Daly said he’s not as long as he used to be. But fans will get a chance to see firsthand whether that’s true. For a time in the early 1990s, Daly hit it so hard that he used to have a hard time finding a driver that wouldn’t dent or crack under the pressure of his swing.

“My club head speed is not what it used to be, but for me, it’s just like today I was hitting the M2 driver, and the head was fine, but sometimes the sleeves crack a little bit sometimes, and it cracked on me today,” he explained. “But I’m not busting too many driver heads at 121 mile-an-hour club head speed. I used to, but the equipment is so much more solid and stronger now, it’s tough to really crack them now.” He used to have a 128 mph clubhead speed.

As far as his distance goes, he says today it would not be a big deal.

“If I was coming out now with Bubba and J.B. Holmes and all these kids that bomb it, I would be kind of a forgotten,” he suggested. “I would just be one of the guys that hit it long. But for me, back in the ’90s, I was kind of the only one that was really long out here, and now you’ve got 20 guys that probably hit it over 300, averaging almost 300 yards out here, and the game has really turned into nothing but the long ball.”

The one hitter who definitely impresses him with length is Jason Kokrak.

However, Daly added that for anyone learning the game seriously, whatever time they spent practicing the driver should be doubled for the short game.

When asked which tournaments he would play, Daly said he would be at the Principal, the 3M, the British Open (past champion category), the Senior British Open, the PGA ( a past champion), Pacific Links in Vancouver and the Nature Valley at Pebble Beach. He’ll also be at the new American Family Insurance Championship in Madison where Steve Stricker is more or less the host.

And he’s really looking forward to the Father-Son because his 12-year old son, LJ (for “Little John”) has taken up golf.

“He’s thriving, and he just loves it. I’m so proud of him,” Daly said. “I think for me, what I’m looking forward to with him is playing in that tournament in Orlando, being in the Father-Son thing, because we’re going to have a blast.”

Daly intends to start making commitments to tournaments in the next two weeks.

Next: DraftKings Best Lineups for the Wells Fargo Championship

“Just trying to make sure I can meet the criteria the Champions Tour wants me to meet because I’m going to be driving my bus and want to make sure I don’t miss any pro-ams and stuff like that,” Daly said. “It’s going to be a full go year. It’s going to be a lot of golf, which I’ve been anxiously waiting to play.”

Home/Champions tour