Haven — Before our little corner of the world gets the chance to humble the rest of its primo golfers with lake-powered wind and the best artificial dunes that sales of a gazillion plumbing fixtures could buy, let’s take a moment to reflect on what it means to have the PGA Championship back in the neighborhood.

Around here, it’s always about the opportunity to showcase the jaw-dropping splendor of Whistling Straits. Before 1998, who knew you could take a right at Howards Grove and wind up on the Irish coast? Apparently, Herb Kohler did.

Big picture, it’s about the intersecting arcs of the two biggest stories in the game, the ascent of Phil Mickelson and the decline of Tiger Woods, as well as the morality play some would wish to attach.

But overshadowed by the Phil-Tiger scene that will begin to obscure even the breathtaking view later in the week is a nice little tale that came up the first time the PGA was here.

In 2004, the 37-year-old head pro at a Dallas-area club was doing the Saturday practice round for his first PGA. It was already the professional opportunity of a lifetime for Bruce Smith before he first met John Daly on the 16th tee.

Now everybody knows about the very public, very personal ups and downs of golf’s most celebrated everyman. But few knew about Smith or the fact that he had a 2-year-old daughter named Kennedy born with a lymphatic malformation that could cause her to have reconstructive face surgery for the rest of her life.

As the gripper-and-ripper was coming up behind the relatively anonymous figure, Smith naturally gave the famous touring pro the chance to play through. But Daly wanted a playing partner, and goodness knows the man loves to talk.

“John asked me in the 16th fairway where I was from, and I told him, and that I had to catch a flight back to Dallas to set up (a) charity event for my little girl,” Smith told PGA.com. “I asked him if I could run into the golf shop to find a few things that might be in an auction. He said, ‘I can do you one better and get some items from my van and get them to you.’ ”

But first, Daly reached into his pocket there on the Whistling Straits 16th and gave Smith $1,000 for his Kisses Fore Kennedy foundation that covers the cost of the non-insured cosmetic surgery for his daughter and other children afflicted with the condition. Smith was moved to tears.

“John Daly has had a lot of things happen to him in his life, all of which have been chronicled by many people,” Smith told the website. “But what he did for a complete stranger is amazing, and it really shows you something about the man.”

At this point we could talk about Daly’s misadventures, Woods’ marital indiscretions or Mickelson’s embrace of a wife who was battling cancer after his Masters title four months ago. But, really, what do you know about anyone until you have the chance to meet them as Smith did Daly on the 16th at Whistling Straits six years ago?

For the record, Smith missed the cut in ‘04. Still, he said he felt as if his career had been made.

Until now.

Recently, Smith qualified for his second PGA by finishing in the top 20 at the Professional National Championship.

At 43, he’ll be back this week fighting the good fight for Kennedy and others.

After all, some things are good to know.

Everyday I will post new photos on the site from the PGA. Tell me your favorites. Maybe I will give Anna, Shynah, and Sierra my camera and they can take pictures of me playing with Ricki Fowler today.

John Daly, winner of two majors, committed to playing in the Nationwide Tour’s oldest event, which will be held Aug. 23-29 at Fox Den Country Club in Farragut.

Daly, 44, received a sponsor’s exemption, as will veterans Jim McGovern, 45, and Ben Bates, 49. McGovern won the 1993 Shell Houston Open.

Daly isn’t the only marquee name in Knoxville News Sentinel Open field.

Rich Beem, who won the 2002 PGA Championship, is scheduled to play on a rehabilitation start.

“I’ve known Rich forever,” said Daly. “I’ve known Jimmy McGovern and Ben Bates. They’re the ones who kept calling me, going, ‘C’mon. C’mon. You gotta play.’ I just now got it in my schedule to where I can – unless some miracle happens and I got in the FedEx (Playoffs).

“But I love those guys. . . . It’s cool that we have guys like that who are down-to-earth and very humble. They’ll entertain the amateurs during the Wednesday pro-ams. We’re just old school. We follow in the footsteps of the Fuzzies (Fuzzy Zoeller) and the Arnold Palmers. We feel like we treat our amateurs really good. I’m not bragging, but we’re a lot of fun to be around, you know?”

The tournament committee asked first-year tournament director Patrick Nichol to speak with Daly at the Nationwide Tour’s Fort Smith (Ark.) Classic. Nichol was there and was able to approach Daly about the possibility of playing in Knoxville.

Nichol received Daly’s OK on Tuesday.

“We really thought John could help us out this year, when we’re kind of in a rebuilding mode,” said Nichol. “John played here in 1990, and he’s part of the original Ben Hogan Tour, along with Ben Bates and Jimmy McGovern. It just seemed like a perfect fit to get those old guys back here at the oldest tournament on this tour.

“We know that they can play good golf and that they’ll be great with our sponsors. That’s what we’re trying to deliver this year: total value to all the businesses that are part of the event.”

Daly’s game is slowly making a resurgence.

He shot a 6-under-par 66 in the first round of the British Open at St. Andrews in mid-July. He went on to tie for 48th.

He has made 11 of 15 cuts on the PGA Tour this season but has yet to accumulate enough points to qualify the FedEx Cup Playoffs, which begin the same week of the Knoxville News Sentinel Open.

He will play in the PGA Championship next week and the Wyndham Championship, Aug. 19-22 in Greensboro, N.C., before driving his tour bus to Knoxville.

“I’m frustrated with my putting,” said Daly on the status of his game this season. “I’m hitting it so good. I’m just not making any putts. If I can start making some putts, it’ll be a lot more fun, you know?

“I know what I’m doing wrong. It’s just hard to change.”

Daly played in the inaugural Knoxville Open in 1990 at Willow Creek but has since been on the PGA Tour, reaching superstardom when he won the 1991 PGA Championship and 1995 British Open.

Daly’s appearance at the Fort Smith Classic was his only Nationwide Tour appearance this season and his first on the circuit since 1991. He finished 22nd.

He should hold fond memories of Fox Den Country Club. He made a hole-in-one on the 388-yard, par-4 15th during a charity scramble in October of 2006.

It was his first ace on a par 4.

“It’s a great golf course,” said Daly. “It’s a golf course that if you can keep it in play scores will be low. The greens were good. We didn’t play the back tees (in that scramble), so I’m sure it’ll be harder than when we played it.

“But it’s a great golf course. I’m looking forward to coming back there.”

Dress Like Daly: Daly disclosed that his clothing sponsor Loud Mouth Golf – known for its non-conservative flashy designs – has agreed in contract with the University of Tennessee to sell orange “check-pants, shorts, shirts and skorts.”

“The good news for you guys is: the University of Tennessee is our first Loud Mouth NCAA contract that we got,” said Daly. “(The items) are going to hopefully be in some of the stores there at the university.”

Daly said there also may be an opportunity to purchase some at the Knoxville News Sentinel Open.

Help Needed: The Knoxville News Sentinel Open is still in need of volunteers.

Visit www.KNSopen.com or call 865-966-7693 for more info.

Scott, thanks for this photo it’s hilarious.