SOUTHPORT, England –
If PGA Commish Tim Finchem didn’t like John Daly teeing up a
ball on a full 24-oz can of Bud -- and it’s hard to imagine he did -- he didn’t
say anything to Long John about it.
Daly used the non-USGA-conforming tee last month during a pro-am round
at the Buick Open near Flint, Mich., with Kid Rock, the Devil
Without a Cause rocker whose rowdy reputation exceeds even Daly’s. It
was all in good fun, Daly said, and he never got a call from Finchem.
Daly said that his friend Rock was playing his fifth-ever
round at the pro-am (and he played his and fourth ever rounds the day
before). A Michigan native, Rock is probably the biggest local pro-am draw the tournament could have short
of an Eminem sighting. And Em might have some anger issues on the
course.
“You’ll see some different things playing with Kid Rock,”
Daly said of the round. At one point, Rock banked his putt off a beer can
for a birdie. “He played as a favor to me and to Buick.”
One of the different things was Daly's tee shot of a tall boy.
Rock had teed the ball on the can of beer, and Daly obliged him with a drive.
“Was I going to say ‘no’ to Kid Rock?” Daly asked.
Despite complaints by appalled Judge Smails types, The Flint
Journal gave the Rock-Daly pairing four stars, saying it added a jolt of fun to the Tiger-less tournament. Also, the paper said Rock played pretty well, considering the overalls, the swig of Jagermeister, the Buds, the cigars and his head-turning female companion, who walked all 18 holes in high heels.
But know this about Rock -- the Kid can play. OK, maybe not like a guy
who spends a lot of time at the range, but good enough to not embarrass
himself. He tried to reign in a nasty slice for most of the round, but
he also stuck some approach shots near the pin.
So let's get this straight: Kid Rock is a famous, wealthy rock star who's dated Pamela Anderson, Jaime Pressley and countless models, and he's making birdies at a tournament during his fifth-ever round of golf. Nah, we're not jealous, really.
(Photo: Carlos Osorio/AP)
