Wild Thing makes Buick fans' hearts sing

JOHN DALY might have been the only person who saw this coming.

Nine years from his last PGA Tour victory, there wasn't much to indicate he was capable of winning, much less against Tiger Woods and a strong field at the Buick Invitational. Off the course, life was even worse.

His wife faces drug and gambling charges from a federal indictment handed down in July, just five days after she gave birth to his first son. He had to withdraw from one tournament because he was hyperventilating. There were rumours, which Daly denied, that the tour had banned him until he sought treatment for drinking.

That's what made his victory at Torrey Pines on Sunday so sweet to Daly and such a shock to everyone else.

"I never doubted. I knew I could win again," Daly said. Even more impressive was the way he won.

Despite closing with a 75, the highest final round by a winner in 13 years, Daly hit a 100-foot bunker shot that trickled four inches from the cup for a tap-in birdie to prevail in a three-man playoff.

It wasn't over until Luke Donald missed a six-foot birdie putt and Chris Riley missed from five feet. Daly covered his face with his hands and cried.

"It's the greatest," he said. "I've had a lot of ups and downs. Geez, this is sweet." Daly had his up-and -downs throughout the final round. As in life, he survived.

Riley holed a clutch birdie putt from 15 feet to finish with a 69 at 10-under, eliminating Phil Mickelson and five others at 9 under. Donald then made a birdie putt to join him on 10 under.

Daly had a chance to win in regulation, but with 265 yards over the pond to the hole, he decided to lay up and trust his wedge, which has "Dr Chipinski" stamped on it.

He made par with a two-putt from 35 feet, and vowed to never do that again. Walking down the 18th fairway, he told his caddie that if he had anything under 275 yards to the front of the green, he was going for it. Daly had 262 yards. He went for it, putting his 3-wood in a greenside bunker.

"It was John Daly-esque," Donald said. The bunker shot was exquisite with fans near delirious. The final salute came when he held the trophy.

"All week, they've just been unreal," Daly said of the fans. "The drunk ones, the sober ones, I love them all."

Despite his many mishaps he identifies with common people, and they identify with him.

"Everybody goes through ups and downs in life," Daly said. "Mine just happen to be talked about." Daly's script is still hard to believe.

He won the '91 PGA Championship as the ninth alternate, replacing Nick Price, then introducing his grip-it-and-rip-it style. After a tour suspension, divorce and drinking problem, he won the '95 British Open at St Andrews in a four-hole playoff.

That was followed by more drinking, divorce and rehab. At the end of last year, Daly won the Korean Open, the unofficial Callaway Pebble Beach Invitational, and the Three-Tour Challenge with Peter Jacobsen and Mark Calcavecchia. It wasn't much, but something to build on.

"Peter Jacobsen told me, 'No matter what happens, the talent never goes away','' Daly said.