John Daly has been in technicolor-pant exile for nearly six months, robbing America of all that it craves, at least provided that you too crave Diet Coke-infused, nicotine-powered, golf course debauchery.

But that’s all over now, as it was recently announced that Daly was returning to US soil to play golf again, beginning at the St. Jude’s Championship in three weeks, courtesy of a sponsor’s exemption.

“I know I’ll be ready to play,” Daly said in a telephone interview from Wentworth, where he tied for 72nd at the BMW PGA Championship. “I’m not going to be (half-trying) like I’ve done in the past. I know I may not play the tour if something good doesn’t happen. It’s making me work harder.”

It’s an odd thing to hear coming from Daly, who has, for many years now, represented all that is evil and sad about “unfulfilled potential.” But it also seems to indicate the change in his personality (which also apparently includes a horrendous fashion sense); Daly’s gone from the “drunk-tank in Winston-Salem after getting arrested at Hooters” type of guy to someone that’s talking a lot of sense and realizes that his number of chances to play golf professionally are almost up.

Now, just like my buddy Ryan said, there’s no guarantee that Daly comes back and dominates; expecting anything significantly impressive from the free-swinger would be insane, simply based on repetitiveness. So, fire up your Sunday DVR machine, light up a cig, lower your expectatations,and get ready to enjoy Big John trainwrecking his way through the PGA Tour once again. Should be a fun way to spend the summer.