After battling problems with his weight and with alcohol abuse John Daly seems to have found a measure of

After battling problems with his weight and with alcohol abuse, John Daly seems to have found a measure of independence on the golf course. After battling problems with his weight and with alcohol abuse, John Daly seems to have found a measure of independence on the golf course. Daly fired a six under par 64 on Thursday to share the first-round lead of the USPGA Tour's Sony Open with 1987 Masters winner Larry Mize and Brad Faxon in Hawaii.After winning Majors in 1991 and 1995, Daly has failed to crack the top 10 of any event over the last two seasons, partly as a result of his well-publicised excesses with food and alcohol, but he has now not had a drink in nine months and has shed 40lbs.Daly, who tied for 48th at last week's Tucson Open, had seven birdies and a bogey at a windy Waialae Country Club.Ireland's Richie Coughlan is one shot off the lead and 13 others, including last week's Mercedes Championship winner Jim Furyk, are two strokes back. Tiger Woods elected not to play after finishing joint eighth last week. David Duval also decided to skip the event.USPGA Sony Open (Waialae Country Club, Hawaii) Leading first-round scores (US unless stated): 64 J Daly, L Mize, B Faxon 65 R Coughlan (Irl). 66 G Nicklaus, S Murphy, F Funk, C Franco (Par), E Canonica (It), N Ozaki (Japan), J Furyk, JL Lewis, T Lehman, J Sluman, N Lancaster, F Langham, S McRoy.

67 S Micheel, B Glasson, B Hughes (Aus), C Di Marco, O Browne, L Roberts, H Tanaka (Japan), D Peoples, C Perry, JJ Henry. Selected: 68 E Els (SA), V Singh (Fiji), KJ Choi (S Kor), S Ames (Tri), PU Johansson (Swe), A McLardy (SA). 69 G Chalmers (Aus), S Maruyama (Japan), J Parnevik (Swe), C Parry (Aus). 70 R Allenby (Aus), E Fryatt (GB), K Yokoo (Japan), S Allan (Aus), P Gow (Aus). 71 E Toledo (Mex), R Sabbatini (SA), M Hensby (Aus), N Sato (Japan), G Ogilvy (Aus) 72 S Appleby (Aus), K Fukabori (Japan), G Hnatiuk (Can) 73 M Goggin (Aus) 74 C Perks (NZ), R Imada (Japan) 75 B Ferguson (Aus) 76 I Leggatt (Can), D Morland (Can)..

Nick Faldo put himself in contention for his first European Tour victory in more than six years with a vintage display in the Alfred Dunhill Championship here yesterday. Nick Faldo put himself in contention for his first European Tour victory in more than six years with a vintage display in the Alfred Dunhill Championship here yesterday. Benefiting from a more relaxed outlook, the six-times Major winner added a second round 65 to his opening 68 at Houghton Golf Club to bring himself to within one shot of the lead held by Scotland's Dean Robertson.The former world No 1 produced an excellent performance featuring seven birdies and no dropped shots, moving into a tie for second with compatriots Justin Rose and Anthony Wall, South African Des Terblanche, Argentinian Ricardo Gonzalez and Australian Adam Scott.Faldo, whose last win in Europe was in Belgium in 1994, birdied the first two holes, added another at the fifth to be out in 33 and then rolled in a hat-trick of birdies from the 10th."It's four years since I won an individual event [the Nissan Open in America in 1997] so it's been a while," said Faldo. "It does play on your mind and you start wondering what it feels like to put yourself in that position again."The trio of Englishmen in joint second was completed by the former amateur star Rose, whose 11 under 133 was his best half-way total since he turned professional the day after finishing fourth in the Open at Royal Birkdale in 1998."It feels good to be in contention," the 20-year-old said after adding a 67 to his opening 66. "I've carried the form from practice last week into the tournament, which is nice, and I feel really relaxed."It's a culmination of all the hard work and practice and the learning I have been doing is beginning to pay off."I've definitely learned some things the hard way.