Daly loses his cool in Australian heat

Former Open champion John Daly was today disqualified from the Australian PGA championship after throwing his putter into the…

Former Open champion John Daly was today disqualified from the Australian PGA championship after throwing his putter into the lake on the 18th green and failing to sign his scorecard.

Daly, who is still mourning the death of his mother two weeks ago, had a furious argument with officials after running up a triple bogey at the 13th.

The American found the lake twice, once via a shot which hit an officials' cart before rebounding into the water.

Finishing nine over par on the 18th, Daly deposited his putter in the lake and shook hands with playing partners Greg Norman and Craig Parry before heading off to pack his bags.

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Australian Jarrod Moseley ended the second day with a round of 66 for a one shot lead over compatriot Aaron Baddeley.

Daly has lived up to his nickname of 'Wild Thing' ever since his startling USPGA victory at Crooked Stick in 1991, battling drink and gambling addictions and several marriage break-ups.

He missed the 1997 US Masters because he was in an alcohol rehabilitation centre, lost millions of dollars gambling, and was married for the fourth time recently after a whirlwind seven-week romance.

Controversy has never been far away on the course either, and he crashed out of the Open at Birkdale in 1998 after taking what marker Payne Stewart could only estimate was a 10 at the last hole. He was not sure as Daly thrashed around so frenetically in a bunker that everyone lost count.

In the US Open at Pebble Beach in 2000 he took 14 on the final hole for an 83 and the previous year his last round contained an 11 which included a two-shot penalty for angrily hitting the ball across the green as it rolled back towards him down a bank.

Highest of all was an 18 at the Bay Hill Invitational four years ago when six balls went into a lake. The score stands as the highest at one hole in US Tour history.