Pain can't hold back in-swing Wild Thing

John Daly is playing through the pain barrier at The Open in a bid to show his troubled career is finally back on track.

The 'Wild Thing' is playing some of his best golf for years after a turbulent past which saw two major wins overshadowed by alcohol and gambling problems.

Yesterday - dressed in lime green, yellow and white harlequin trousers - he shot an impressive 68. It could have been better too, had he not struck the flag at the parfive seventh with his 210-yard approach shot.

But it came at a price for the 43-year-old, who needed intensive treatment on a recurring back injury.

He said: "Practice is starting to pay off a little bit. I have been hurt for three weeks, so that has not helped. The physio here has been working on me pretty hard and they have been doing a great job just to get my back to play.

"But if they rub any more, I'm going to feel like a piece of gingerbread. It's sore but at least it's getting me through.