GOLF ROUND-UP:TWICE MAJOR winner John Daly left Australian Open organisers "bitter and disappointed" after walking off the course in the middle of his opening round yesterday.
The 45-year-old, who is no stranger to controversy, hit six balls into the water from the 11th tee before shaking hands with his playing partners, walking to the Lakes Golf Club car park and driving off in a courtesy car. He stood smoking a cigarette while waiting for the car to take him to his hotel but refused to speak to the media, a female companion saying “you can’t play if you’ve run out of golf balls”.
“It’s very disappointing and certainly unprofessional,” championship director Trevor Herden told reporters. “I’m extremely bitter and disappointed that he’s treated this championship this way. It’s becoming a bit of a habit, something similar happened last week or the week before, but it’s unacceptable and I certainly hope that all the tours deal with it in the appropriate manner this time.
“We are definitely disappointed in that attitude and that behaviour. It’s unprofessional. We’ve got to protect the sport and the image of this championship which is the real thing I am totally upset with. We’ve got the best field ever and he wants to treat it like this, it’s just not good enough. I would say this will be the last time we see John Daly.”
Daly also walked off during his second round at the Austrian Open at Atzenbrugg in late September after a rules infringement.
Daly had been penalised two shots at the 10th hole yesterday for hitting the wrong ball out of a bunker, Herden said, leaving him seven over for the round approaching the 11th.
Herden said running out of golf balls was no excuse for quitting in the middle of a round. “If you run out of golf balls and are acting in a professional manner, you would call the course officials and we would replenish his stock,” he said.
“It’s very disappointing, obviously, for the tournament (and) certainly unprofessional and I’m extremely bitter and disappointed that he’s treated this championship this way,” Herden said. “It’s becoming a bit of a habit.”
Jarrod Lyle led by a shot after firing a seven-under but Tiger Woods was lurking just three strokes back.
Australian Lyle scorched round the tricky Lakes lay-out in Sydney, with Americans Dustin Johnson and Nick Watney his closest pursuers at six under. “That is the lowest score I’ve shot all year. I’ve played solid but have not really achieved anything,” said Lyle.
US Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples and home favourites Steven Jones, Greg Chalmers and James Nitties were a further shot back after carding opening 67s.
Of the six players at four under, Woods was the only one to face the treacherous afternoon conditions.
The former world number one hit an impressive 14-of-18 greens in regulation to sit in a share of eighth spot alongside compatriot Bubba Watson and amateur Jake Higginbottom.
“I hit it really good today, that was exactly how I’ve been hitting it at home so that’s good that I was able to take it to the golf course and in these conditions hit all the shots,” Woods said.
