John Daly (AFP)
Double major winner John Daly on Wednesday shrugged off criticism of his personal life and said he was doing his best to get his golf game back.
The troubled US star was speaking to reporters ahead of the Australian Masters this week and after shooting a sparkling 62 at the UBS Hong Kong Open on Sunday, raising hopes he could rescue his flagging career.
Daly, 42, whose problems include drink, injury, his weight, multiple divorces and a night in jail last month, said his personal life was not as bad as media reports suggested.
"Everybody goes through ups and downs in life, unfortunately mine are more publicised than most," he said.
"Athletes in the world today are set on such a big pedestal now that nobody thinks they do wrong or they think they don't have any problems.
"Well, everybody has problems and I'm a fighter, I'm a survivor and I'll get through anything people can throw at me. I've done a lot of stupid things I take responsibility for, but a lot of it came upon me.
"It's just life, we've got to live it and get through it."
Daly responded with good humour to comments made on Monday by Australian golfer Stuart Appleby, who compared the American's life to a "train wreck", the national AAP news agency reported.
"Did anybody survive? I'm still surviving the train wreck," Daly said, adding that he respected Appleby as a golfer and did not take issue with the comments.
Daly's slump in form has seen the winner of the 1991 US PGA Championship and 1995 British Open only reach weekend play in five out of 17 US tournaments this year, with tied 40th his best finish.
His form has given rise to criticism that his invitation to play in the Masters had more to do with his colourful character than his golfing ability.
Brushing the suggestion aside, Daly said: "I'm just trying to do the best I can, trying to get my golf game back."
He said he hoped to carry on from the last round 62 he shot in the Hong Kong Open, which left him tied for 17th, his best finish of the year.
"I like the way I'm hitting the ball, I'm trying to feed off last week, I hit the ball really well," he said.
"I'm playing again and getting my swing back.
"Here if you just hit the fairways and putt well you can play good, if I keep working hard at it hopefully something good might happen."
After the Masters, Daly heads to Coolum for the Australian PGA Championship, scene of an infamous meltdown in 2002 when he threw his putter and ball in a lake and stormed off the course.
© 2008 AFP/sid
