John Daly on island time

John Daly was the draw this week at the PGA Butterfield Bermuda Championship at the serene Port Royal Golf Club.

At 56 Daly makes me look like George Dobson, and although he was only here on an exemption, the legendary American easily received the loudest roars from the crowd on both Thursday and Friday before missing the cut by miles.

I was there on both days, and on arrival on Thursday after getting out of the car I bumped straight into him as he prepared himself to tee off at the 10th hole. Whilst his fellow golfers swung practice shots and limbered up, Daly in his Hooters’ sponsored trousers sat in his requested golf cart sucking on a cigarette.

When it was his time to tee-off he ambled out of the cart, clearly struggling with his arthritic knee, smashed the ball somewhere down the fairway, mumbled to himself and got back in his cart. All of this was greeted by the loudest cheers, woops, and applause.

Daly ended up coming near the bottom after 36 holes only above some assorted local Bermudians.

Port Royal has some stunning vistas and runs for 7,000 yards hugging the Atlantic Ocean, with the 16th one of the most photographed holes in the world. The hospitality tent sat just above the hole on the 16th, and it was from there that I drank in the hideous out-of-season humidity on Thursday and in the sideways rain and wind on Friday. At least unlike last year the roof stayed on.

As always, it was better than working, and lovely to be outside to watch professional sport on this island. The World Triathlon is here next weekend.

Irishman Seamus Power won the PGA title with a 19 under, one shot ahead of Thomas Detry from Belgium.