Friday, December 10, 2010

John Daly Shoots 83 in Oz


Just when John Daly thought it was safe to return to Coolum, the scene of one of his most famous meltdowns, the course came back to get him again.

Daly shot an 11-over 83 on Friday in the Australian PGA to miss the cut. 

Last week, Daly also failed to qualify for weekend play in the Australian Open - by one stroke.

The American was destined to miss by a great deal more this week after nines of 43 and 40, including four double bogeys, three bogeys and one birdie. He opened with a 71 on Thursday.

In 2002, Daly was fined and disqualified after failing to sign his scorecard and throwing his ball and putter into a pond on the 18th hole at Coolum.

Daly refused to speak to media after his round and was driven from the course by the tournament promoter.

In the 2002 event, after taking a triple-bogey 7 on his last hole at the Hyatt Coolum course, Daly threw his putter and ball into a green side pond and later failed to sign for a 78 on his scorecard, disqualifying himself from the tournament. He was fined $5,600 by the Australasian PGA Tour and was ordered to write a letter of apology to a tour official he verbally abused.

On Friday, Daly was in the same group as defending champion Robert Allenby and China's Liang Wenchong, who both shot 68's. The trio teed off the 10th hole at 6:10 a.m.

Daly bogeyed the 10th, and parred the next two holes before taking a double bogey on the water-lined par-3 14th. Another bogey on the 16th gave him 40 for his first nine.

He bogeyed the par-5 first, then had double bogeys on the third and fourth holes. He made his only birdie of the day on the par-5 fifth before another double on the par-3 eighth.