When John Daly bucked the trend and pulled out the driver on the 17th tee at Carnoustie yesterday, it was tempting to consider the ploy a bit of a gamble. Yet, after due consideration, you realised that for a man capable of gambling away $60 million in 12 years, it was nothing of the sort.

In fact, with the former Open champion about to miss the cut, it was not even the last throw of the dice. If it comes off, the American would have thought, then so be it; if not, then who cares?

What unfolded may not go down as the shot of the championship (it was not important enough), but for those who witnessed it, it will be the most memorable. With the Barry Burn cutting across the fairway of this fearsome 461-yard par four at about the 280-yard mark, the majority of players choose to play short of the water and leave themselves long shots into the green.

Yet from the moment Daly’s ball left the clubface, it was obvious that something special was in the air. The question was, would it ever come down?

As Daly, cigarette in hand, ambled past his playing partners, Bradley Dredge and Robert Allenby, both of whom had laid up short of the water hazard, it was not clear how much farther the American’s ball had flown. He had carried the hazard by miles and just kept walking, and walking.

And then it came into view, pristine and sitting proud in the middle of the narrowest piece of fairway about 60 yards from the front of the green.

Those outside the ropes, until informed otherwise, had assumed that it was his second shot. But there was soon a hubbub of sound as word spread among the gallery. The ball had travelled the best part of 400 yards and set up the easiest of birdies.

Like all great risk-takers, Daly in full flow is irresistible to watch: high one moment, low the next, always on the verge of triumph or calamity. For the most part, it is calamity that rules (on and off the course) and yesterday his miserable demeanour spoke volumes.

It has been a rotten year for the man whose Open victory came in 1995 at St Andrews. On the course, he has barely made a cut, while off the course a life blighted by gambling and alcohol addiction reached a new low when he accused his fourth wife, Sherrie (who served time in prison last year for money laundering) of attempting to stab him with a steak knife.

She countered that he had assaulted her and while both have since dropped the charges against each other, they have filed for divorce. Daly’s previous wives are part of a never-to-be forgotten chapter in his autobiography under the heading “All my Exes wear Rolexes”. Which is funny and sad at the same time.

Daly’s last five holes yesterday provided a perfect cameo of his playing style. In the first round he led briefly after getting to five under par after 11 holes, but then he dropped eight strokes in seven holes and slumped back into his pit of gloom.

Yesterday, he dropped six strokes in his first 12 holes, but then finished with five pars and a birdie on the toughest part of the course. By then, though, he was walking the fairways with his head down, hands in pockets, as if he would rather be anywhere than here. He did not seem to be trying particularly hard, just doing what he does, for better or worse.

Most remarkable was his speed of play. On the tee, he averaged 11 seconds between placing the ball and hitting it; on the fairway, he rarely took more than 12 seconds over a shot and his putting followed a similar pattern.

In the last five holes, Daly, who finished on eight over par after rounds of 74 and 76, took 64 seconds over his shots in total at the par-five 14th; 46 seconds at the 15th; 31 seconds at the 16th; 40 seconds at the 17th and 43 seconds at the 18th – made up of ten seconds for the tee shot, 11 seconds for the second shot and 22 seconds over his two putts, the second a tap-in.

The fastest round played was by Steve Scott, the American Olympic 1,500 metres runner, who completed 18 holes in 29min 33sec. He used two clubs, ran the course and took 92 strokes. It is a shame that Daly’s shape would prevent him attacking that record, but give him a buggy and he could probably break 20 minutes. Now there’s a thought.