By Bob McClellan
Florida Times-Union sports writer
Morris News Service

PONTE VEDRA BEACH -- The last time John Daly was spotted on the weekend at The Players Championship, he and playing partner Mark Calcavecchia were doing their best impression of Dale Earnhardt and Ernie Irvan -- flying around a track in record time.

The scene was the final round of the 1992 Players, the only time Daly had made the cut here in four tries until this year. Calcavecchia was in last place with Daly next to last, and they teed off first that Sunday morning feeling the need for speed.

What transpired eventually earned the twosome significant fines from then-PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman. They completed 18 holes in less than two hours. Daly shot on 8-over-par 80, still good enough to beat Calcavecchia's 81.

Fast forward to Friday. Daly backed up a stellar first-round 68 with a solid 70, good enough for a 6-under par total and a six-way tie for fifth place, five strokes off the lead.

``I've struggled a little bit on scoring, although I've been hitting it OK,'' Daly said of his start to the '95 season. ``There's always one part that seems to go bad during a round.

``These two rounds it's kind of fallen together, not all the way but...with a few putts I'd have shot real low. I'm real happy.''

The Stadium Course usually is to Daly what on oil slick is in Turn 4 at Daytona Ä a wreck waiting to happen. But not this year. Here is all you need to know about Long John at the '95 Players: On the par-4 14th, Daly snap-hooked his tee shot into the water, then walked to his bag and slammed his driver down into it. He took his drop, and reached for a wood.

But then Daly put on the brakes, grabbed an iron, just missed the green and got up and down for bogey. He followed it with par, birdie, par, par.

``I'm just playing a sweeping hook right now (off the tee), and it's working most of the time, I don't know how,'' Daly said. ``It builds confidence. It's good to play well

Fuzzy Zoeller, one of Daly's best friends on Tour, says it's good to see his young friend play well here. The two spent a couple of days together in Arkansas last week.

``He's happy, which is nice,'' Zoeller said with a wry smile. ``He's not worn out, and he's in a better mental mood.

``He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He can be his own worst enemy.''