TULSA, Okla. - Only John Daly would skip practice for a major and head for the casino. Or at least he is probably the only PGA Tour player who would admit it.

Daly didn’t play any practice rounds here at Southern Hills for the 89th PGA Championship, though the Cherokee Casino people down the road closed down their course for three or four hours earlier this week for the big hitter’s exclusive use. Daly took a break from the slots and poker tables to find a little practice time.

Whatever. It worked. Daly fired an opening-round 67 here, making him the mid-afternoon clubhouse leader. Remember, Daly didn’t have any practice rounds when he won the PGA Championship in 1991.

And, typically, Daly’s superb round was exactly the opposite of what many experts said was critical at this course – course management.

Daly just bombed away.

“I was very aggressive off the tee,” Daly said after his round. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

Daly says practice rounds are over-rated. The yardage book will set you free.

“My goal is: Can I carry the dogleg? Can I carry the bunker? That’s all I need to know.,” Daly said.

Big John hit only six of 14 fairways, but hit 14 of 18 greens. The key was his putting; at one time he had six straight one-putts on the front nine.

Daly has struggled this year, both on and off the course, accepting sponsors’ exemptions just to compete, and he knows what his 67 means.

“It just seems like something’s always going wrong,” he said. “Today was a gift.”

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