Daly Withdraws, Bolstering Frivolous Lawsuit Claims**

Is it me or does that chronic pain specialist dude Jim Weathers actually look like Ian Poulter after a whole bunch of steroid injections? (Thanks htt for the image.)

Anyway, Mark Lamport-Stokes reports on the latest John Daly drama, this time at the Hope:

"It killed me today. I had a guy here with me and he popped it back in five times."

Daly's rib injury dates back to the Honda Classic last March when he was disturbed on his back swing by a spectator trying to take a photograph.

"A woman took a picture and I came down and separated my shoulder and fractured my rib," the 1995 British Open champion said. "I tried to play through it all last year and had to withdraw from tournaments because it kept popping out.

Speaking of that, Craig Dolch files a devastating blog post regarding Long John's potential lawsuit against the Honda Classic over his injury:

Why would John sue a tournament where most of the profits go to a children’s charity run in part by the Jack Nicklaus family?

One look at Daly’s golf bag may show why: There are no logos of an equipment company on his bag. Daly, who has the talent and the charisma to be one of the high-paid endorsees on the PGA Tour, is once again without a company.

So maybe that’s why he’s willing to gamble by possibly suing a tournament that gave him a sponsor exemption — Daly actually has asked for another sponsor exemption from Honda for this year!

Honda Classic tournament director Ken Kennerly has tried to remain low-key, saying he can’t comment on a lawsuit that hasn’t been filed. But when the Golf Channel reported last week that Daly has decided to file the lawsuit, other tournament directors took notice.

One, who didn’t want his name used, said as much as a draw Daly is with fans, there’s a limit to what you will put up with. “If I give him a sponsor exemption,” the director said, “should I make him sign a contract where he agrees not to sue me?”

Update on 2008-01-20 05:22 by Geoff

**From Thomas Bonk's story on the withdrawal:

Daly has been a regular this week at the Hope's tournament parties. He attended two more tournament parties Friday night, including an after-party, and told one local reporter to ignore the fact that he was drinking. At the first party, Daly sang "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" in a duet with Alice Cooper. Eyewitnesses said Daly was helped out of the after-party by an unidentified man.

Daly To Get First Lesson From Butch; Countdown To Break-Up Begins

Tim Rosaforte has the news. Oh to be a fly in Butch's indoor teaching center...

Here's the best part:

Daly has no sponsor on his shirt and no exempt status.

Uh, that would be plural Tim. No sponsors.

He also said he has avoided alcohol for a week and didn't visit any casinos during his Vegas stay.

Of course he was only there for a few hours!

"Times are tough," he said. "Only one guy could get me there, and that's Butchie."

Daly Delivers Consistency: Registers Season-Leading 6th WD

Okay, it's not Tiger chasing Jack's 18 or Snead's 82, but according to Craig Dolch, he's leading the tour in WD's with his Ginn Classic bail out.

Meanwhile Steve Elling says the Tour's obviously not fining him enough, then dares to go where few have thought to venture, boldly questioning how fans can keep loving the guy when he pulls this stuff. I also like this point, which does punch a hole in the regular guy persona that Daly has been abusing:

He's become an affront to the credibility of the PGA Tour and has offered repeated slaps to the face of those buying tickets to watch him. Moreover, his behavior is offensive to players who could have better maximized the notable number of wasted, and mostly undeserved, opportunities that Daly received this year from various sponsors.

Nobody received more largesse than his largeness.

Daly, playing mostly on sponsor exemptions because he didn't finished in the top 125 in earnings last year, won't reach the financial threshold again this year, either. He was at No. 182 entering the week, despite playing a full schedule of 24 events. He has been reduced to seeking handouts from title sponsors to get into their fields.

That latter figure means a couple of things. Firstly, many tournament directors are lining up to give him exemptions into their events, because they know that fans buy tickets to watch Daly's seemingly inevitable train wreck. And, second, it underscores that he remains the biggest quitter active in the game today, if that's not an oxymoron.

To wit, Sunday marked his sixth withdrawal of the year.

 He didn't give a reason for quitting but didn't report any injury or illness, a tour media official said. According to tour rules, he has 30 days to send a letter to tour brass outlining his reasoning, which will be reviewed. He faces a possible fine if his excuse doesn't pass muster. Whatever the dollar amount figures to be, and the tour has never disclosed its fines, it clearly hasn't been enough to modify his behavior. He should be booted on general principle for conduct unbecoming a professional.

Daly Fires 63...Presumably With His Own Balls

His second round 63 must have the Taylor Made folks squirming after this Ed Graney column revealed that Long John thinks he's been getting the wrong product..

Daly's erratic round left him 12 shots off Bob May's lead and probably with a better chance of landing the cover of Men's Health than making the cut here. He and playing partner Charles Howell III (2 over par) each began the day driving into rocks, and neither really recovered enough to be concerned with a leaderboard.

"I'm sick of it," Daly said. "I've got the best ball in (the Maxfli Fire) I've ever played with, but I don't know where the hell they are. God bless (Taylor Made). It's not really their fault. It's the plant in (Greenville) South Carolina. I've never swung a club better in my life than I am right now. I'm not going to blame myself anymore. I'm a better player than this.

"They can do whatever the hell they want to me, but they're sending me a harder ball. It's good for a guy who spins the living crap out of it, but I don't and it's killing me. I've told them every week, and they still keep getting me the wrong balls."

Taylor Made officials in California couldn't be reached for comment, although that might be attributed to faulty cell phone reception. There's a good chance the only words they heard on a message left late Thursday afternoon were "John Daly's balls," which they would probably assume had nothing to do with golf and instead just another off-course incident with their imperfect and yet likeable client.

Mrs. Daly Attempts To Implement Alternative Weight Loss Program On Husband*

Good times in Memphis...

John Daly, who lives on the course where he is playing in the Stanford St. Jude Championship, reported to authorities that his wife attempted to stab him with a steak knife early Friday, authorities said.

Daly, 41, called police about 6 a.m. on Friday to report the alleged assault, Shelby County Sheriff's department spokesman Steve Shular said.

IN-PROGRESS SCORES: Updates from St. Jude Championship

When deputies arrived, she and the couple's children were not there. Deputies could not find the knife he claimed she used.

Red marks could be seen on both of Daly's cheeks as his warmed up on the course Friday afternoon. Play had been delayed by weather.

It will be Daly's decision whether to press charges, Shular said. No charges had been filed Friday afternoon.

Update on 2007-06-09 04:38 by Geoff

* Daly comments:

"While I slept at home last night, I was the victim of an assault by my wife," Daly said.

"This morning, I filed a complaint with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. They are investigating, and I'll have no further comment on the matter while they pursue their investigation.

"My only concern at this point is for the safety of my children and myself, and we are working closely with local authorities and PGA Tour security officials to assure appropriate safeguards."

"We looked at John Daly as someone who lights up a room, not someone with a troubled past."

In Richard Sandomir's story detailing CBS's decision to pull the John Daly-Maxfli ad, it's great fun to read the rationale

“Any implication that participants are drinking in excess or performing an activity that requires a level of alertness while drinking does not meet network standards,” said Leslie Anne Wade, a CBS Sports spokeswoman.

It's a good thing network standards don't allow for shows about people getting killed!

The Daly ad has already run about 10 times on the Golf Channel, which last year ran his reality series, “The Daly Planet.” Dan Higgins, a spokesman, said that while the ad met network standards, “we’re sensitive to the issues at hand and are looking at other viable options to running the commercial,” like restricting its airing to later hours or running an edited version.

Hey, I know. Just air it during the Greg Goose 19th Hole since the set is stocked with booze. Then it won't look so bad! 

Meanwhile, in Larry Stewart's LA Times piece, he quotes the Maxfli dude:

"We went into this with the idea that John Daly is fun, exciting and approachable," said Bob Maggiore, senior director of marketing for TaylorMade-Adidas of Carlsbad, Calif. "In hindsight, maybe we should have seen the risk. But we looked at John Daly as someone who lights up a room, not someone with a troubled past."

Well, at least he's honest. 

Daly To Unveil First Non-Signature Signature Design

Thanks to reader Scott for this historic moment in player-architect lore, courtesy of the (where else) Branson Daily News: 

John Daly’s Murder Rock Golf & Country Club, which will host opening ceremonies this fall, will have the distinction of being a Daly signature course.

“John is very close friends with (Branson entertainer) Johnny Lee, who was instrumental is getting John and (Murder Rock owner) Glenn Patch together,” said Chris Meade, director of golf and general manager of the club.

Meade thinks Daly’s association with the club is a natural, considering the PGA and British Open winner’s Missouri and Arkansas roots. ‘The Lion’ was born in California, but went to high school at Jefferson City Helias and attended college at Arkansas.

“We feel in this part of the country he’s a big draw,” Meade said.

Murder Rock is the third Daly signature course, the others being Thundering Waters Golf Course in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, and Wicked Stick Golf Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C..

He also designed Wicked Stick.

Daly has no ownership in Murder Rock and wasn’t part of the course’s design group.

Yes, it's a signature design and he was not part of the design group! Take that Jack and Arnold! 

Lewis On Daly

Paul Lewis in the New Zealand Herald provides an excellent overview of the saga that is John Daly. Many things caught my eye, but this in particular made me realize why I need to stop writing architecture books and get into tell-all bios...

Perhaps the best insight into Daly comes from his book, which is approaching 500,000 copies sold since its release this year. It is the most frank, unabashed and downright odd story of any sportsman. It is the laying bare of a life - unusual in sports biographies which tend to re-hash material already known and/or allow the sportsman involved to recount history according to his or her own perspective.

Disney and Daly

Steve Elling tries to get excited about the Disney field minus Tiger, and he also notes that John Daly withdrew. I guess it's safe to say Daly is going to rely on sponsor's exemptions next year.

Does anyone know if Long John is entitled to unlimited sponsor exemptions as a veteran PGA Tour member? 

Long Gone John?

Just 10 of the World Top 50 are teeing it up in Las Vegas. But note John Daly down at 190th on the money list and in the Vegas field (like there was any doubt he'd miss this week!).

I don't believe Daly does not have enough all-time money (76th) to get one of those little one-time exemptions, so barring a big check the next three weeks, the Skins Game may be Long John's tune-up for the Q-School finals.

"I didn't see her but two times while she was incarcerated"

John Daly really needs to come to the press tent more often. At the 84 Lumber Classic Tuesday:

Q. What's been the response on Tour since your book has come out with the other players? Do they kind of view it as "that's John"? Did they kind of pretty much know all of that before it was put in print?

JOHN DALY: Well, it's amazing because I've had about 20 of the guys on Tour say, "I bought your book." I said, "What the hell are you buying it for? I'll give it to you." Most of them said they learned a lot about me, but they said they felt like they were having a conversation with me, like they were just talking to me. Most of them enjoyed it. A lot of them all said they really enjoyed it. They just didn't know some of the tough times I had in my past growing up and stuff, they didn't realize that. And some of the crazy things that I've done in my life, they didn't know that, either, but they said they learned a awful lot about me. But when they said they felt like they were talking to me, then I must have touched something to the reader.

Q. Your wife Sherrie, is she back now?

JOHN DALY: Yeah.

Q. Just one more question regarding the book. In the book you wrote that the more sex you have, the better golf you play.

JOHN DALY: That tells you another reason why I played bad this year (laughter).

Q. I was going to phrase the question this way: With your wife Sherrie now back, how well are you going to play this week (laughter)?

JOHN DALY: She hasn't been able to travel at all this year and I didn't see her but two times while she was incarcerated, so that explains it. She hates to see I played bad golf, but she knew definitely I wasn't cheating on her (laughter).

"Almost unbecoming of a professional"

Erik Leijon in the Montreal Mirror interviews John Daly about his new wine label and his book. This is beautiful:

M: When your book came out, the PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem talked to you. What did he say?

JD: Well, it was just one of those things that went back and forth. HarperCollins wanted everything [about Daly’s drinking, gambling etc.], in which the facts are right, and the PGA tour didn’t, so it went back and forth eight or nine times. Tim Finchem said, “This is almost unbecoming of a professional.” I said, “My life is unbecoming of a professional, Tim.” And he said, “Well it wasn’t like the Tour was going to sell it,” but next thing you know it’s in the display of every PGA Tour store, so he must be okay with it.

The New John Daly...Gulp

Geoff Calkins in the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes about John Daly's new book and his recent book signing.

"My Life In & Out of the Rough," is the title of Daly's book, and who ever figured the guy for an author?

"Shakespeare sucked," Daly wrote, and it's about time somebody said it. Compare these two romantic passages:

A. "For where thou art, there is the world itself, and where thou art not, desolation."

B. "All told, we did it 10 times that day."

Shakespeare wrote A, Daly wrote B.

Who does a better job of getting to the essence?

And...

Endorsing wines, though? When Daly has struggled so mightily with alcohol? There's something pathetic about that, like Art Schlichter endorsing a bookie.

The same goes for the book, which outlines Daly's bold new strategy for dealing with alcohol and gambling.

Alcohol: He's going to drink beer instead of Jack Daniel's.

Gambling: He's going to switch to $25 slots. 

"Whenever you see John Daly playing great golf..."

Ed Sherman probably helps resolve any lingering doubt you have about picking up John Daly's book, sharing a trailer park trash episode between Daly and his father along with more of John's profound thoughts.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Daly also has large appetites in the bedroom. He thinks sex helps his game. He credited an "active" tournament week with current wife Sherrie for victories in Germany in 2001, in San Diego at the Buick Invitational in 2004 and for his runner-up finish last year at the WGC American Express in San Francisco.

"Whenever you see John Daly playing great golf, you know his wife's taking care of his needs," he said.

It's good to know New York publishing is still only looking for quality literature to publish.

Oh and don't forget, Daly is on tonight's episode of 60 Minutes.  

"The man has no character to defame"

Mike Bianchi in the Orlando Sentinel:

John Daly has just ruined any chance he has of winning an ongoing lawsuit against a writer in Jacksonville he accuses of defamation of character.

After reading Daly's latest autobiography, it's quite clear: The man has no character to defame.

The name of Daly's book is called ``My Life In & Out of the Rough.'' It should be called, "I'm a big, fat, gluttonous, gambling, boozing, grunting, snorting sexist pig."

If PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has any backbone, he will exercise executive privilege and immediately suspend Daly from the PGA Tour for "conduct unbecoming of a professional golfer." Actually, Daly's conduct is unbecoming of a professional porn star.

Let's forget for a moment how the tour should feel about the gambling addiction Daly details in his book, let's talk about how his ex-wives and girlfriends should feel about Daly giving his juvenile critiques of their sexual prowess.

It gets uglier from there, but you get the point.

How much did Daly get for this book?