Monday, February 16, 2004
USATODAY.com -
Picture Daly on U.S. Ryder Cup team, at MastersPicture Daly on U.S. Ryder Cup team, at Masters
By Jerry Potter, USA TODAY
As captain of the U.S. team that plays Europe in the Ryder Cup this September, Hal Sutton could have had a vested interest in John Daly's victory in the Buick Invitational Sunday.
John Daly hopes his big win at the Buick Invitational can lead to qualifying for the Masters and possibly the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
By Lenny Ignelzi, AP
Can you imagine Daly, one of the longest hitters and most charismatic players in golf, teeing it up for the USA at Oakland Hills near Detroit next September with a gallery at a fever pitch?
Sutton says that wasn't on his mind Sunday as he slapped Daly on the shoulder and encouraged him as he prepared to play the final nine holes at Torrey Pines near San Diego.
"I've thought a lot of John for a long time," he said. "He has great golf skills, and if he continues to play well I'll certainly consider him."
Although he has won two major championships and has been one of the most popular figures in golf, the unpredictable Daly has never played on a Ryder Cup team.
This could be the year because his first PGA Tour victory in nine years puts him in a better position to be a captain's pick for the USA, not to mention setting up a possible return to The Masters in April should he hold his position on the Tour's money list. He's sixth in earnings and the top 10 through the Players Championship on March 28 earn a spot in The Masters.
He earned 150 points, and is 33rd on the Ryder Cup list with 201.250 points. It might take 600 points to make the team, but Daly has from now until after the PGA Championship in August to earn points. If he gets close to the top 10, who make the team automatically, Sutton would give him a lot of consideration.
"John represents what America is about," said Sutton, who joins Daly in the field for the Nissan Open beginning Thursday near Los Angeles. "You get down, and you get back up. We all have trouble, and that's why so many people can relate to him."
Daly, 37, has lived a troubled life. He has been addicted to alcohol and food and is on his fourth marriage. He has four children, and he said Sunday they motivate him to fight his problems.
"Raising them is a blast," he said. "That makes you more responsible, more aware of what's going on."
One of Daly's biggest supporters is Fuzzy Zoeller, a former Masters and U.S. Open champion playing the Champions Tour. Zoeller is available to Daly when he wants to talk through his problems, but Zoeller said Monday he couldn't get through to Daly because his answering service is crammed with messages.
"John's life is a constant battle," Zoeller said. "It's up to him to solve his problems. From what I know, everything is going well."
Since he became a public figure by winning the 1991 PGA Championship, the one positive has been his considerable talent as a golfer.
He's one of the longest hitters in the game, yet has an equally amazing short game.
"And he's not intimidated by anybody," Zoeller said. "He loves the competition."
Daly won the Buick Invitational in a sudden-death playoff, and his performance on the playoff hole, a par 5 of 571 yards, is a perfect example of his skills.
He drove the ball over 300 yards, hit a 3-wood more than 270 yards to a bunker, blasted out to within 4 inches of the cup, then tapped in the putt for a birdie.
Zoeller said the fans see a talented but troubled man. "I know another person," he said. "The man I know has a big heart and some big problems. But that's life. It's not all rosy."
Picture Daly on U.S. Ryder Cup team, at MastersPicture Daly on U.S. Ryder Cup team, at Masters
By Jerry Potter, USA TODAY
As captain of the U.S. team that plays Europe in the Ryder Cup this September, Hal Sutton could have had a vested interest in John Daly's victory in the Buick Invitational Sunday.
John Daly hopes his big win at the Buick Invitational can lead to qualifying for the Masters and possibly the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
By Lenny Ignelzi, AP
Can you imagine Daly, one of the longest hitters and most charismatic players in golf, teeing it up for the USA at Oakland Hills near Detroit next September with a gallery at a fever pitch?
Sutton says that wasn't on his mind Sunday as he slapped Daly on the shoulder and encouraged him as he prepared to play the final nine holes at Torrey Pines near San Diego.
"I've thought a lot of John for a long time," he said. "He has great golf skills, and if he continues to play well I'll certainly consider him."
Although he has won two major championships and has been one of the most popular figures in golf, the unpredictable Daly has never played on a Ryder Cup team.
This could be the year because his first PGA Tour victory in nine years puts him in a better position to be a captain's pick for the USA, not to mention setting up a possible return to The Masters in April should he hold his position on the Tour's money list. He's sixth in earnings and the top 10 through the Players Championship on March 28 earn a spot in The Masters.
He earned 150 points, and is 33rd on the Ryder Cup list with 201.250 points. It might take 600 points to make the team, but Daly has from now until after the PGA Championship in August to earn points. If he gets close to the top 10, who make the team automatically, Sutton would give him a lot of consideration.
"John represents what America is about," said Sutton, who joins Daly in the field for the Nissan Open beginning Thursday near Los Angeles. "You get down, and you get back up. We all have trouble, and that's why so many people can relate to him."
Daly, 37, has lived a troubled life. He has been addicted to alcohol and food and is on his fourth marriage. He has four children, and he said Sunday they motivate him to fight his problems.
"Raising them is a blast," he said. "That makes you more responsible, more aware of what's going on."
One of Daly's biggest supporters is Fuzzy Zoeller, a former Masters and U.S. Open champion playing the Champions Tour. Zoeller is available to Daly when he wants to talk through his problems, but Zoeller said Monday he couldn't get through to Daly because his answering service is crammed with messages.
"John's life is a constant battle," Zoeller said. "It's up to him to solve his problems. From what I know, everything is going well."
Since he became a public figure by winning the 1991 PGA Championship, the one positive has been his considerable talent as a golfer.
He's one of the longest hitters in the game, yet has an equally amazing short game.
"And he's not intimidated by anybody," Zoeller said. "He loves the competition."
Daly won the Buick Invitational in a sudden-death playoff, and his performance on the playoff hole, a par 5 of 571 yards, is a perfect example of his skills.
He drove the ball over 300 yards, hit a 3-wood more than 270 yards to a bunker, blasted out to within 4 inches of the cup, then tapped in the putt for a birdie.
Zoeller said the fans see a talented but troubled man. "I know another person," he said. "The man I know has a big heart and some big problems. But that's life. It's not all rosy."
SignOnSanDiego.com > Sports -- Junior is class of racing classic
Junior is class of racing classic
By Bill Center
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
February 16, 2004
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR has done it again: fashioned a too-good-to-be-true finish on a day primed for a fairy-tale ending.
In 1979, the Daytona 500 ended with Richard Petty winning as Cale Yarborough and the Allison brothers fought in the infield, capping the first live national telecast of a car race on a day the East Coast was house-bound by a blizzard.
Notebook: Earnhardt can't relax and enjoy it all, yet
Waltrip flips, flips out
On July 4, 1984, it was Petty winning his record 200th race on the day Ronald Reagan decided to be the first U.S. president to attend a stock car race.
And yesterday, well, hold back the tears.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Daytona 500 on a day that included a visit by President Bush. And that's only the start.
Junior's win came on the sixth anniversary of his fabled father's only Daytona 500 win, and three years after Dale Earnhardt Sr. died at Daytona International Speedway on the last lap of the same race.
"This is the greatest day of my life," said the driver who has been adopted by The Intimidator's legion of fans.
"My dad was in the passenger seat. Every time we come to Daytona, I feel my dad's presence. When I come here, I feel closer to my dad. But every trip is a reminder of what happened here."
Apparently, the 180,000 fans on hand shared Little E's emotions.
You could clearly hear the screams from the grandstands over the roar of the cars as the pilot affectionately known as "Junior" toured the high-banked, 2½-mile oval the final time to hit the finish four car lengths ahead of Tony Stewart.
It wasn't even a bad day for Stewart, the 2002 Winston Cup champion who considers Earnhardt one of his closest friends.
"I'm happy to be second," said Stewart. "I'm proud to have come home behind him. I think his father is proud today. I'm glad today is the Earnhardts' day. My day will come. This was his day.
"He didn't win this race because he got lucky. He outdrove us and beat us. That's why I'm proud to be second."
As the race unfolded, it became clear that three cars had a speed edge on the rest of the field – those of Earnhardt, Stewart and Kurt Busch, who ran with the leaders but was a lap down because of an unscheduled, early-race pit stop for a tire after rubbing fenders with Earnhardt.
Between them, Stewart (97) and Earnhardt (59) led 156 of the 200 laps – including 101 of the final 120 straight laps run under the green to the checkered flag.
Coming off the final round of pit stops, rookie Scott Wimmer had his Dodge ahead thanks to a two-tire stop. But the Chevys of Stewart and Earnhardt, each on four fresh tires, ran him down in a span of five laps, with Stewart taking the lead on the 175th lap.
Six laps later, Earnhardt made his move coming off the fourth turn. He feinted high, then dived to the inside of Stewart entering the tri-oval. Earnhardt held the lead across the start-finish line and into turn one. Stewart then got the nose of his Monte Carlo back in front through the second turn, only to have Earnhardt pour it on down the long backstretch.
Stewart didn't lead again.
"There was no holding him back," said Stewart. "He decided when he was going to pull the pin. And he pulled it. But the way I see it, it was a 1-2 finish for our team."
Earnhardt and Stewart opened Daytona's annual Speed Weeks by teaming in a Chevy prototype in the 24 Hours of Daytona. Their team led for 23 hours and 44 minutes until the car stopped running with Stewart at the wheel.
"No defeat hurt more than that one," said Earnhardt.
As the preparations for the Daytona 500 progressed, Earnhardt and Stewart talked about drafting in tandem – although they weren't members of the same team. Michael Waltrip is Earnhardt's teammate at DEI; Stewart drives for Joe Gibbs. Earlier in the week, friction developed between members of the Earnhardt camp and Waltrip over the question of assistance.
"Tony and I are such good friends," Earnhardt acknowledged. "We helped each other all day."
Said Stewart: "Other guys spent the day trying to separate us. But our plan was to run together. This has also happened three times at Talladega (where Earnhardt has led Stewart to three 1-2 finishes)."
Every time they hooked up yesterday, Stewart and Earnhardt pulled away – until Earnhardt pulled away by himself.
After taking the checkered flag, Earnhardt slowly lapped the famed tri-oval a final time, then parked at the start-finish line rather than tearing up the infield with celebratory "doughnuts."
As the crowd cheered, Junior climbed from the car and pumped his fists toward the crowd and the heavens. He blew kisses and spent a moment with his crew, which had run to the scene. Little E then climbed back into the car and drove to Victory Lane.
"I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell this story (of himself and his dad) and completely get it right," Earnhardt said at the postrace press conference. "This place meant so much to my dad."
Then a cell phone call interrupted his address. It was the president, back at the White House but still at Daytona.
"Thank you," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "It's been quite a day."
A NASCAR day.
Junior is class of racing classic
By Bill Center
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
February 16, 2004
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR has done it again: fashioned a too-good-to-be-true finish on a day primed for a fairy-tale ending.
In 1979, the Daytona 500 ended with Richard Petty winning as Cale Yarborough and the Allison brothers fought in the infield, capping the first live national telecast of a car race on a day the East Coast was house-bound by a blizzard.
Notebook: Earnhardt can't relax and enjoy it all, yet
Waltrip flips, flips out
On July 4, 1984, it was Petty winning his record 200th race on the day Ronald Reagan decided to be the first U.S. president to attend a stock car race.
And yesterday, well, hold back the tears.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Daytona 500 on a day that included a visit by President Bush. And that's only the start.
Junior's win came on the sixth anniversary of his fabled father's only Daytona 500 win, and three years after Dale Earnhardt Sr. died at Daytona International Speedway on the last lap of the same race.
"This is the greatest day of my life," said the driver who has been adopted by The Intimidator's legion of fans.
"My dad was in the passenger seat. Every time we come to Daytona, I feel my dad's presence. When I come here, I feel closer to my dad. But every trip is a reminder of what happened here."
Apparently, the 180,000 fans on hand shared Little E's emotions.
You could clearly hear the screams from the grandstands over the roar of the cars as the pilot affectionately known as "Junior" toured the high-banked, 2½-mile oval the final time to hit the finish four car lengths ahead of Tony Stewart.
It wasn't even a bad day for Stewart, the 2002 Winston Cup champion who considers Earnhardt one of his closest friends.
"I'm happy to be second," said Stewart. "I'm proud to have come home behind him. I think his father is proud today. I'm glad today is the Earnhardts' day. My day will come. This was his day.
"He didn't win this race because he got lucky. He outdrove us and beat us. That's why I'm proud to be second."
As the race unfolded, it became clear that three cars had a speed edge on the rest of the field – those of Earnhardt, Stewart and Kurt Busch, who ran with the leaders but was a lap down because of an unscheduled, early-race pit stop for a tire after rubbing fenders with Earnhardt.
Between them, Stewart (97) and Earnhardt (59) led 156 of the 200 laps – including 101 of the final 120 straight laps run under the green to the checkered flag.
Coming off the final round of pit stops, rookie Scott Wimmer had his Dodge ahead thanks to a two-tire stop. But the Chevys of Stewart and Earnhardt, each on four fresh tires, ran him down in a span of five laps, with Stewart taking the lead on the 175th lap.
Six laps later, Earnhardt made his move coming off the fourth turn. He feinted high, then dived to the inside of Stewart entering the tri-oval. Earnhardt held the lead across the start-finish line and into turn one. Stewart then got the nose of his Monte Carlo back in front through the second turn, only to have Earnhardt pour it on down the long backstretch.
Stewart didn't lead again.
"There was no holding him back," said Stewart. "He decided when he was going to pull the pin. And he pulled it. But the way I see it, it was a 1-2 finish for our team."
Earnhardt and Stewart opened Daytona's annual Speed Weeks by teaming in a Chevy prototype in the 24 Hours of Daytona. Their team led for 23 hours and 44 minutes until the car stopped running with Stewart at the wheel.
"No defeat hurt more than that one," said Earnhardt.
As the preparations for the Daytona 500 progressed, Earnhardt and Stewart talked about drafting in tandem – although they weren't members of the same team. Michael Waltrip is Earnhardt's teammate at DEI; Stewart drives for Joe Gibbs. Earlier in the week, friction developed between members of the Earnhardt camp and Waltrip over the question of assistance.
"Tony and I are such good friends," Earnhardt acknowledged. "We helped each other all day."
Said Stewart: "Other guys spent the day trying to separate us. But our plan was to run together. This has also happened three times at Talladega (where Earnhardt has led Stewart to three 1-2 finishes)."
Every time they hooked up yesterday, Stewart and Earnhardt pulled away – until Earnhardt pulled away by himself.
After taking the checkered flag, Earnhardt slowly lapped the famed tri-oval a final time, then parked at the start-finish line rather than tearing up the infield with celebratory "doughnuts."
As the crowd cheered, Junior climbed from the car and pumped his fists toward the crowd and the heavens. He blew kisses and spent a moment with his crew, which had run to the scene. Little E then climbed back into the car and drove to Victory Lane.
"I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell this story (of himself and his dad) and completely get it right," Earnhardt said at the postrace press conference. "This place meant so much to my dad."
Then a cell phone call interrupted his address. It was the president, back at the White House but still at Daytona.
"Thank you," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "It's been quite a day."
A NASCAR day.
Herald Sun: Daly's greatest victory [17feb04]
Daly's greatest victory
17feb04
AFTER waiting a decade since his last US PGA Tour victory, hanging around for one more hole didn't bother John Daly.
Daly birdied the first playoff hole yesterday to win the Buick Invitational in San Diego, then faced an even tougher battle - putting the implausible victory in perspective.
"It's the greatest one," he said, choking back tears as fans roared their approval. "I can't explain it. There have been a lot of ups and downs. Geez, this is sweet."
Few believed he would taste victory again, given his mountain of personal problems during the past few years.
Ranked No. 299 in the world, he battled through a final-round 75 at Torrey Pines but somehow mustered a clutch playoff birdie on the 18th to claim his first victory in the US since 1994 and his first significant win since the 1995 British Open.
Even Daly, who has won two major championships, had his doubts.
"Because it's been a long time," he said. "After 10 years not winning, you wonder whether you really can win again."
He delivered in vintage Daly style, bashing a three-wood 240m into a greenside bunker on the extra hole. From there, he plopped a near perfect sand shot from 27m to 20cm and sweated as Chris Riley and Luke Donald narrowly missed birdie attempts from 1.8m.
"Nine years without winning on this tour, you could never tell, him playing that last hole," said Donald, who shot 69 after starting the day six strokes back. "Obviously, John Daly-esque, he went for it in two."
Like there was a doubt, right? Big John turned to caddie Peter Van Der Riet after whacking his tee shot and said that if the ball was within 250m of the green, he was pulling out the hammer, not laying up.
"I though it might put pressure on them if I put it close," he said, laughing.
His wedge saved him. For the week, Daly got up and down 11 of 13 times from the bunkers, proving he's more than just a ball masher. The sand save in the playoff was the best of his career, too, he said. "For the pressure and everything, there's no doubt."
Tiger Woods, who finished in a tie for 10th, echoed the thoughts of many. "I think it's great to have anybody who has gone through the things he has gone through, succeed," he said.
His fans, loyal throughout his many embarrassing personal moments over the years, propelled him along, even as he dropped the occasional shot.
"The drunk ones, the sober ones, I love them all," Daly said. "They have kept me going and going."
So did the acre of tobacco that he burned during a tense back nine. As Daly finished the 14th hole, there was an eight-player logjam in second place, just one shot behind him.
"I thought I smoked a whole pack," he cracked. "My slogan is, 'Who needs fitness when you have good equipment?' And I'm sticking to it."
Daly's greatest victory
17feb04
AFTER waiting a decade since his last US PGA Tour victory, hanging around for one more hole didn't bother John Daly.
Daly birdied the first playoff hole yesterday to win the Buick Invitational in San Diego, then faced an even tougher battle - putting the implausible victory in perspective.
"It's the greatest one," he said, choking back tears as fans roared their approval. "I can't explain it. There have been a lot of ups and downs. Geez, this is sweet."
Few believed he would taste victory again, given his mountain of personal problems during the past few years.
Ranked No. 299 in the world, he battled through a final-round 75 at Torrey Pines but somehow mustered a clutch playoff birdie on the 18th to claim his first victory in the US since 1994 and his first significant win since the 1995 British Open.
Even Daly, who has won two major championships, had his doubts.
"Because it's been a long time," he said. "After 10 years not winning, you wonder whether you really can win again."
He delivered in vintage Daly style, bashing a three-wood 240m into a greenside bunker on the extra hole. From there, he plopped a near perfect sand shot from 27m to 20cm and sweated as Chris Riley and Luke Donald narrowly missed birdie attempts from 1.8m.
"Nine years without winning on this tour, you could never tell, him playing that last hole," said Donald, who shot 69 after starting the day six strokes back. "Obviously, John Daly-esque, he went for it in two."
Like there was a doubt, right? Big John turned to caddie Peter Van Der Riet after whacking his tee shot and said that if the ball was within 250m of the green, he was pulling out the hammer, not laying up.
"I though it might put pressure on them if I put it close," he said, laughing.
His wedge saved him. For the week, Daly got up and down 11 of 13 times from the bunkers, proving he's more than just a ball masher. The sand save in the playoff was the best of his career, too, he said. "For the pressure and everything, there's no doubt."
Tiger Woods, who finished in a tie for 10th, echoed the thoughts of many. "I think it's great to have anybody who has gone through the things he has gone through, succeed," he said.
His fans, loyal throughout his many embarrassing personal moments over the years, propelled him along, even as he dropped the occasional shot.
"The drunk ones, the sober ones, I love them all," Daly said. "They have kept me going and going."
So did the acre of tobacco that he burned during a tense back nine. As Daly finished the 14th hole, there was an eight-player logjam in second place, just one shot behind him.
"I thought I smoked a whole pack," he cracked. "My slogan is, 'Who needs fitness when you have good equipment?' And I'm sticking to it."
