Wrong balls put Daly in foul mood

John Daly has a bigger problem today than slot machines that will undeniably tempt him or the prospect of a sudden local shortage of Diet Coke.

The guy hates his balls.

It's always something, no?

The one player capable of drawing a Frys.com Open gallery beyond immediate family members and close friends did so Thursday and afterward took offense with Taylor Made and the type of Maxfli golf balls he has been shipped for more than two months.

Daly favors the softer Maxfli Fire but says he has been receiving a much harder ball, which he attributed to a first-round 3-over-par 74 at TPC at The Canyons.

(It was either that or the fact Daly continued losing focus waiting for amateur Rick Perry to reach the green in a timely fashion on most holes. I'm pretty convinced Texas today is by far our nation's most efficiently run state, because it's impossible to believe its governor spends much time playing golf.

Perry did, however, bring along a security contingent complete with those Secret Service-type ear pieces, which would have been interesting if it wasn't so laughable given the only thing most knew about him was that he was the guy you backed up 20 yards from each time he addressed a shot.)

Daly's erratic round left him 12 shots off Bob May's lead and probably with a better chance of landing the cover of Men's Health than making the cut here. He and playing partner Charles Howell III (2 over par) each began the day driving into rocks, and neither really recovered enough to be concerned with a leaderboard.

"I'm sick of it," Daly said. "I've got the best ball in (the Maxfli Fire) I've ever played with, but I don't know where the hell they are. God bless (Taylor Made). It's not really their fault. It's the plant in (Greenville) South Carolina. I've never swung a club better in my life than I am right now. I'm not going to blame myself anymore. I'm a better player than this.

"They can do whatever the hell they want to me, but they're sending me a harder ball. It's good for a guy who spins the living crap out of it, but I don't and it's killing me. I've told them every week, and they still keep getting me the wrong balls."

Taylor Made officials in California couldn't be reached for comment, although that might be attributed to faulty cell phone reception. There's a good chance the only words they heard on a message left late Thursday afternoon were "John Daly's balls," which they would probably assume had nothing to do with golf and instead just another off-course incident with their imperfect and yet likeable client.

All these people -- more than 100 awaited Daly's group to tee off on the par-4, 415-yard 10th -- continually come out to watch the one professional they relate to most. The flawed one. The gambler and smoker and drinker and expert on divorce law. They insist he is just like them, which might be true if not for that little matter he can carry more than 350 yards uphill on a par-4, 365-yard 14th and most everyone else in the world can't.

But more intriguing than Daly's personal defects are still those few swings each round that demonstrate how he won two major championships. The guy has pretty much been a nonfactor again this season, having played 21 events before now and missing the cut nine times while withdrawing five others. He has two top-25 finishes and his last top 10 was in 2005.

Still, he ranks second in driving distance to Bubba Watson. He still rips it through wind with such imposing ease. He still chips in from 35 yards out on a par-3 16th.

"He is obviously supremely talented," Howell said. "He always has those moments in a round. The guy is special, which is why so many people come to watch him."

Well, that and there's always a chance he'll reach the turn, grab another Diet Coke and go home. Daly promises that won't happen here, certain he will make the 7:10 a.m. tee time at TPC Summerlin.

"I've got no choice," he said. "I'm loyal."

It's a statement tournament officials are no doubt pleased to hear, given it guarantees them at least one gallery today with more than five people. The only better words uttered Thursday came from Gov. Perry with three holes remaining and another one of his wayward shots lost somewhere between a cart path and Porta-Potty:

"I'll be picking up from here."

Then he and one of his security guards went to find the ball.

Because if you're going to wear the really cool ear piece, darn it, you're going to have to do some actual work.

Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-4618.