Darron Cummings / AP

Golfer John Daly waits for customers outside his RV where he sells T-shirts and other golf items near the Masters golf tournament Thursday.

He’s on a high-protein diet, and what he does eat has to be chewed and chewed and chewed so it will be soft enough to swallow. Alcohol? Daly said he’ll have the occasional sip of a drink or a beer, but that’s it.

“It takes me about an hour to drink one beer, just sipping on it,” he said. “I drink a little bit, but not much.”

Added Cladakis, “He’ll come back and say, ‘It just doesn’t taste right anymore.”’

Daly is also focusing on his game. He’s working with Rick Smith, Phil Mickelson’s former coach, and plans to head to Europe later this month to play in Spain, Italy and Ireland, as well as at the PGA Championship in England. Daly said his long game is really good, but his short game is taking a little longer.

As for putting, let’s just say there’s a noticeable difference when there’s no longer a belly to get in the way.

“I’m not having to lean back because my gut’s hanging over,” Daly said. “Me and Rick have been trying to shorten my stroke. The shorter putts are all right, but the long putts, my speed’s way off. It’s been tough. But I’ve told Rick, whatever you want me to do, I’m going to do.

“What I love about him is he said, ‘We’re not building something just to get you by, like you’ve always done, and hopefully you win. We’re going to get you where you can stay more consistent.”’

Daly hopes to be back on the PGA Tour in time for the Colonial, which is May 28-31. While Tiger has a firm grip on the tour’s spotlight, there’s also a pack of youngsters who can bomb it the way Daly did — without the extracurriculars.

Still, Daly hopes there’s still a place in the game for him.

“I think this time it’s for me,” said Daly, who turns 43 later this month. “I don’t have to really prove a lot anymore. I’ve just got to prove some stuff to myself.”