Justin Timberlake Shriners Open 2012: John Daly does most John Daly thing possible

In Friday’s second round of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open, John Daly shot his best round of golf in five years by recording a 63. His efforts catapulted him to sixth place at that time and very much in contention for his first PGA Tour victory in what seems like forever.

On Saturday, however, John Daly totally went all “John Daly” on himself and shot an 86.

Such has been the career of Daly, who has been one of the most polarizing players this generation. A former major-winner, Daly, 46, has struggled to earn sponsors exemptions to the limited events he’s played recently. It seems that Daly is more known for his loud wardrobe choices than his play on the course. That changed briefly on Friday afternoon in Las Vegas, but as is the atmosphere of the area, Daly crapped out the following day.

But hey, at least he was in good spirits following the round. And completely confused.

“This course, everybody shoots it low, but there are times where nothing just goes right,” Daly said afterward. “I short sided myself all day. If I missed a green, I had the most impossible chips. I couldn’t make a 4-footer, and I had the lefts going, which usually if I miss the ball, it’s right. So that confused me a little bit.”

Daly opened the third round with a par and then made a double bogey and a quadruple bogey.

“When you get off to a start like that, your body just almost goes into shock,” he said. “Every time I tried to hit a cut, I’d hit a pull, and every time I’d try to hit a draw, I’d flare it right.”

He now sits in dead last place heading into Sunday’s final round as he continues his quest to somehow claw his way into the top-125 in year earnings to earn his PGA Tour card for next season. I guess they don’t call this time of year the Silly Season for nothing.