Golf: Daly finds form as rollercoaster life goes on

Few sportsmen have experienced as many high and lows as 35-year-old American John Daly.

The dream debut in the 1991 US PGA championship, the descent into alcoholism, the 1995 Open victory, the descent into more alcoholism, the marriage break-ups, the gambling debts running into millions, the string of double-figure scores on holes.

But underneath it all, it is generally agreed, he is a genuinely nice, honest guy who has been given a real talent for golf.

And not just the ability to hit the ball a long way.

Daly was back at the Nord-Eichenried course in Munich today trying to build on his opening nine under par 63 in the BMW International Open.

It gave him a share of the overnight lead with Australian left-hander Richard Green and in a field which boasts most of Europe’s top names - Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke are the most notable absentees - it showed that there is still much that he can achieve.

Simply to win again is the first thing.

Daly has not tasted success since St Andrews six years ago, but having now learnt the importance of trying to keep the ball on the fairway rather than just attempting to blast it out of sight the likelihood of him self-destructing as he has so often in the past is reduced.

And he is less likely as well to go off the rails when away from the course - again as he has so often in years gone by.

"It doesn’t bother me that people talk about my past," he said.

"I’ll talk about anything. This year, though, I am talking more about the future. I am very comfortable and everything in my life is very solid.

"I have a great wife now (he was married for the fourth time last month after a whirlwind seven-week romance), spend a lot of time with my kids and I have close people around me that I trust with my life."

Daly had the fifth hole-in-one of his career yesterday, but backed it up with seven birdies as he and Green took a one-stroke advantage over Dean Robertson.

Only after the Scot returned his 64 did he learn that he was still in the running for the Ryder Cup next month.

This is the final qualifying tournament and although Robertson is 23rd in the table there are just enough points for him to make it into the top 10.

For that to happen he has to win and everyone up to Phil Price in 10th spot has to fall short of their target.

Price faced a battle to avoid the halfway cut when he resumed this morning, a one under 71 being good enough only for a share of 86th place.

Merely the top 70 and ties go through to the final 36 holes.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, 11th in the standings, had a 67, but that put him into a share of 10th place and he needs fourth at worse.

Andrew Oldcorn and Sergio Garcia are on the same one under 71 but have to come second or win respectively.

Not that it is essential to Garcia because he is promised a wild card from captain Sam Torrance on Sunday in any case if he requires it.

For the likes of Ian Poulter, Andrew Coltart, Ian Woosnam, Paul Lawrie and Warren Bennett the task is easy to say, difficult to do - go birdie mad.

Twenty under par has won on this course the past two years and the way Daly and Green have started, it might need something beyond that this time.