Daly still a huge draw, trying to make most of exemptions

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PALM DESERT, Calif. -- Sure, John Daly's here. Why wouldn't he be?

As Tiger Woods correctly observed a while ago, "John Daly is one of the biggest draws in golf.'' Also one of the biggest people in the game, literally, the round, mound of whatever you wish, popularity, monster drives, faded success.

John Daly is playing the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic on a sponsor exemption. (Laberge/WireImage)

John Daly

Through 54 holes

STATS Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 EAGLES -- -- -- BIRDIES 2 2 6 PARS 15 16 7 BOGEYS 1 -- 5 DOUBLE BOGEYS -- -- -- OTHER -- -- -- DRIVING ACCURACY 79 50 46 DRIVING DISTANCE 326.5 307.5 316.5 PUTTS PER ROUND 31 30 28 PUTTS PER GIR 1.857 1.923 1.750 GREENS IN REG 78 72 67 SAND SAVES 25 0 --

"All over the world,'' Tiger said, when asked to explain why he invited Daly to his own end-of-the-year event, the Target World Challenge presented by Countrywide, "anywhere he goes, he brings out the biggest galleries.''

And Daly's galleries certainly are large in this 49th Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. So is his presence.

As you're aware, the tournament doesn't have Woods or Phil Mickelson. But it does have Big John, smacking drives into the clear air, zipping irons onto greens and drawing deserved applause.

He's in the A-list group, but, unfortunately, struggling with a sore muscle, he's not among the leaders. After Thursday playing his first round in three years without a bogey, Daly on Friday had four bogeys, matched off against six birdies, shot a 2-under 70 at PGA West and is at 4-under 212, tied for 75th with two rounds to play.

We know Daly for his 300-yard drives, for his personal struggles, for his guitar picking, for his larger-than-life personality. What often is overlooked is Daly's touch.

He can be a master around the greens or on them. After all, nobody wins two majors if he can't chip or putt.

Such a mysterious game, golf. Justin Leonard, among the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic leaders three-fifths of the way through the 90-hole tournament, was ruminating on how confidence ebbs. Even if you're a champion.

Daly is here on a sponsor's exemption, since he's miles down the rankings, but as Tiger pointed out, John helps a tournament. Now seemingly he's helping himself, too, by working with Butch Harmon.

The idea is for Daly to shorten the putting stroke, but when you've been on TOUR since the early 1990s changing one's ways is not that simple.

"He tried it with Phil, and Phil struggled the first few weeks,'' Daly explained about Harmon's work with Mickelson. "I'm sticking with it. I'm hitting the ball great. I'm just not making anything.''

He knows if he can stay healthy, he can play well once more. The hints keep popping up. The bogey-free round. The great start in last year's PGA Championship at Southern Hills, when the train wreck of his life suddenly was repaired and clattering down the track.

"I feel I can still play,'' Daly said then.

He is three months from his 42nd birthday. The Champions Tour is not that far away. Yet, he's thinking of now, not the future.

Daly's last victory was in the 2004 Buick Invitational. That ended a nine-year silence on TOUR. He'll be at the Buick Invitational next week, the final time of his five-year exemption for that event. Somehow you believe he'll return after that.

"He still sells tickets,'' Bob Hope Chrysler Classic tournament director Mike Milthorpe told the Los Angeles Times. "People still want to see him. I'm sure he wants to play well and not rely on exemptions to get into tournaments.''

But if he must, he'll take them. Consider the exemptions interest on investments. He may have made a mess of himself at times, but overall he's made the TOUR a better place.

"He's such a genuine guy,'' said Adrian Garcia, a friend of Bob Hope Chrysler Classic host George Lopez.

That he is. Unpretentious. Aggressive. Two qualities which stand in good stead.

"All I want to do is make more putts,'' Daly said with a headshake. "If I keep missing this many... well, I'm 41 and I'll be 80 tomorrow.''