'You Da Man' Daly plans to join Euro Tour

John Daly is considering a return to Loch Lomond for the Barclays Scottish Open this year as part of a golfing rehabilitation that could end with him rejoining the European Tour at the end of the season.

At the age of 42, the original "You Da Man" is still considered by some to be the biggest draw in golf after Tiger Woods. Followed by huge Italian Open crowds at the Tolcinasco Castle course he closed yesterday with a five-under-par 67 that left him 12 shots behind winner Hennie Otto, of South Africa, and then talked about his plans.

"I've played Loch Lomond before in 2003," said the American, who would need an invitation to play, but it is hard to foresee that being withheld. "I know it doesn't really prepare you for the Open the following week, but it helps with your time adjustment and it's a great course."

The Wild Thing missed the cut in last week's Spanish Open and finished pain-free in joint 23rd yesterday to win £13,411 in what was only his third tournament since undergoing surgery for a rib injury.

"That will help pay the exes," remarked Daly dryly, referring to his three ex-wives and a fourth in the midst of divorce proceedings. The music buff once released a record entitled "All My Exes Wear Rolexes". He is committed to a charity junior tournament and concert next week in his home in Arkansas and said that if it hadn't been for that he would be continuing his European sojourn to Ireland.

"I'm probably going to play seven or eight more tournaments in the States and maybe six or seven over here," said Daly, who hopes to return for the Wales Open in three weeks. "I'll make a decision at the end of the year. I enjoy playing in Europe and I wouldn't rule out joining the European Tour."

Daly, who played alongside Scotland's Marc Warren yesterday and outscored him by nine shots, has lost his card on the PGA Tour in the US and is languishing at world No.609. He joined the European Tour in 2002 on the back of his 10-year exemption for winning the Open at St Andrews, but that ran out three years ago.

A category 15 membership, however, would still be available as a former champion - in addition to the Open he has also won the BMW International Open.

Otto, who lost the Madeira Islands Open this year in a play-off to Scotland's Alastair Forsyth after holding a five-shot lead at the start of the day, was stronger yesterday as he closed with a 69 and a 25-under-par aggregate of 263 for a one-shot win over England's Oliver Wilson, who has now chalked up six runner-up finishes without winning.

Wilson was on the practice range preparing for a possible play-off as Otto played his approach from a difficult lie on the edge of a fairway bunker to about 10 feet, from where he used the two putts he had for victory.

"It was an awkward shot and I needed the middle of the green," he said. "I was worried earlier when Oliver caught me, but I holed a good putt at the 13th and my caddie kept me in the present over the closing holes."

It was a maiden European Tour victory for Otto, 31, who only just made it into the field at less than a week's notice and now heads back home to Johannesburg for a week off with a £221,300 first prize.

Robert Karlsson, of Sweden, the halfway leader, was third a further shot adrift after a 67, while the three Scots who survived the cut finished with a whimper.

Warren, who opened with a 65, closed with a 76 for a five-under aggregate of 283, and joint 65th place alongside Forsyth and Gary Orr.

Forsyth had a 71 and then lamented: "I'm hitting the ball right and left, off the heel and toe, fat and thin. The only bad shots I didn't hit today were a shank and a fresh-air shot."

"I need to find the kind of trigger I had a few weeks ago," he added in reference to his win in the Madeira Island Open and runner-up finish in the Portuguese Open. He will be seeing coach Bob Torrance on Tuesday at the Irish Open.

Orr had a 72 and was more upbeat. "I'm happy with the way I'm hitting the ball. I just need to sharpen up and put it all together," said the Helensburgh-attached player who is looking forward to his first extended run of tournaments since he recovered from a back injury.