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Stewart's death heightens Daly's fear of flying Associated Press October 27 1:18pm ET | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MADISON, Miss. -- John Daly has come to peace with many
things, but he might never fly again.
While Daly says he rarely drinks or gambles since the pressure to abstain was lifted, his fear of flying was intensified by the accident that killed Payne Stewart. "You expect some other kind of plane to go down before a Lear," Daly said. "It was the only plane that I really felt safe in because of all of the safety features that it had. It was just like it was crash-proof." Instead of taking a one-hour flight, Daly drove more than six hours from Dallas to Mississippi for this week's Southern Farm Bureau Classic. "I'm really not even wanting to get on a plane to go anywhere right now," Daly said before playing a practice round Tuesday at Annandale Golf Club. "I know they are safer and it's the best way to travel, but I've always said I like my chances in a car wreck before I do a plane crash, because nobody is going to live." As for other aspects of his life, Daly insists he is more at ease since he ended more than two years of sobriety June 11 after missing the cut at the St. Jude Classic. While the decision cost Daly his endorsement with Callaway Golf and his primary source of income, he says it lifted the heavier burden of having to abstain from drinking and gambling. "I feel a lot better. I felt like I was trying to do everything for everybody else instead of myself and it was bringing me down," Daly said. "I don't know if the decision I made is right or wrong, but I still feel a little better about being able to make my own decisions and not having somebody over my shoulder all of the time watching every move I make." Daly's five-year deal with Callaway, signed after he left rehab in April 1997, included a provision that he not drink or gamble. Chairman Ely Callaway offered to send Daly to an addiction specialist earlier this year, but Daly left after arriving at the undisclosed clinic. Callaway, the 80-year-old chairman, had become something of a father figure to Daly. Callaway said he had no choice but to drop the long-hitting golfer, who stood to earn about $3 million over the final two years of the contract. "Mr. C basically made it too easy for me. The money was great, and I kind of backed off on practicing, and I think I was more worried about not drinking and not gambling than I was trying to play," Daly said. "It took all of the energy out of me just trying not to do those two things. "Now I've got a hunger in my belly to go out and play good again." Since the burden of not being able to drink or gamble has been lifted, Daly said he hasn't done much of either. When he played in the Las Vegas Invitational this month, Daly said he gambled only for about an hour during the seven days he spent in the gambling mecca. "I didn't even hardly gamble," Daly said. "The drinking aspect of it, I feel like I've been doing great. I haven't even hardly drank to tell you the truth. It's not something I want to do every day. "Knowing that I can now and knowing that most everybody knows that I can, I'm not really doing it. The pressure's kind of gone. Now I can just go out and practice and play golf and that's all I've got to worry about." While he's 163rd on the PGA Tour money list ($176,565), Daly is not in danger of losing his Tour card because of a 10-year exemption he got for winning the 1995 British Open, his last title.
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PGA Tour to take Friday off for Stewart memorial Players try to cope with Stewart's death Stewart's legacy: More than just clothes made the man Shock, sadness, remembrances from Stewart's peers Stewart's wife watched plane reports on TV, brother-in-law says Neighbors, friends quick to respond Chat wrap: Andy North on Stewart Agent, a former Alabama QB, killed in Stewart plane crash Pilot helpless to prevent Stewart's jet from crashing ABC Sports Online's Mark McCumber reflects on friend Clemente, Munson among those who've died in plane crashes
  PGA Tour news conferenceRealVideo: 28.8 Payne Stewart sank this putt on 18 to win the U.S. Open859k avi RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN Stewart was known for accurate iron play, shown here.1100k avi RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN  Tom Kite says Payne was great to be around.72k wav RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Justin Leonard loses a friend and inspiration.144k wav RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Ben Crenshaw offers the Stewart family his love and support on behalf of the golfing family.123k wav RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Tiger Woods says the death of Payne Stewart was a blow to everyone.152k wav RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 David Duval is at a loss for words.147k wav RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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