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BOB HARIGAlternate shot and best ball play would offset fan favorite's inconsistency.
He holed a fairway shot for an eagle, and through four holes was 5 under par. John Daly was on fire Sunday at the Buick Open, and the crowd was going crazy.
Nobody in golf, not even Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson, commands the rabid rock-star attention afforded Daly, the fan favorite of all fan favorites.
And there is no place in golf where it is much of an advantage.
Except the Ryder Cup.
Which makes Daly an intriguing thought for U.S. Ryder Cup team captain Hal Sutton when he fills out his 12-member team after next week's PGA Championship.
Daly, who won the Buick Invitational in February and finished second to Vijay Singh on Sunday at the Buick Open, is having his best year. He's missed just two cuts - though they were at major championships - and leads the PGA Tour's all-around statistical category. He has had five top-10s.
"I just know if I do get picked, I would be ready and I'd love to play," Daly said.
The problem is, despite Daly's solid play, he is 20th in the standings. The top 10 after the PGA qualify for next month's event at Oakland Hills outside of Detroit. Sutton then gets two choices. Woods, Mickelson, Davis Love and Jim Furyk have clinched spots. Kenny Perry, David Toms and Chad Campbell appear to have locked up spots, too. Fred Funk, Steve Flesch and Jerry Kelly round out the top 10 at the moment.
Jeff Maggert and Scott Verplank, who played well at the Ryder Cup two years ago, are 11th and 12th, followed by Stewart Cink, Jay Haas and Tim Herron. Sutton could take the easy way and simply pick the 11th and 12th players.
Or he could take a chance and pick Daly.
And there is a lot of upside to that.
First and foremost, the Ryder Cup is unlike any other tournament in that shots both good and bad are cheered. With the Ryder Cup in the United States, every move by Daly will be met with thunderous applause. If that isn't intimidating enough to his European opponents, then Daly's long, soaring drives could do the trick.
For all of Daly's inconsistency, match play and the Ryder Cup format can mask his problems. A ball out of bounds ruins one hole, not an entire round. Daly can make his share of birdies, which is important in four-balls (best ball). And his long drives and deft chipping could be an asset in foursomes (alternate shot).
And there is this to remember: At a time when Daly was not playing his best, he won the final JCPenney Classic in 1999 at Innisbrook with Laura Davies. The format? Two days of best-ball, two-days of modified alternate shot.
"Being a long hitter can be an advantage, take alternate shot, which I think has been our weakness in the Ryder Cup in the past," Daly said. "And I think that's where I could be very, very strong for the team. I think you want to pair up a longer hitter and a shorter hitter in alternate shot. It seems like that's where we really struggle and I think I would help the team there."
The wisdom of matching up Daly with a short hitter can be debated, but it is true that alternate shot is a tough format for the Americans.
Daly, 38, has never played on a Ryder Cup team, despite winning the 1991 PGA Championship and the 1995 British Open in Ryder Cup years. He would have to finish second at the PGA to have a chance to make the team on points, but if he doesn't, Sutton will be watching, although Daly won't be lobbying.
"It would be wonderful," he said. "I'm looking at the guys in the top 25, and all the guys are playing incredible golf. And so that makes it tough for Hal to pick two guys. We've got a very strong team whether I'm on it or not. It would be great if I could be on it, and if I'm not, I'm going to root hard for our team as usual."
Imagine all those rooting for Daly if he does make it.