If you didn't watch into the wee hours last night I can tell you Freddie Couples is a happy camper in Australia this morning. Not only did he open with a -5 67 T4 just 2 shots off the lead, but 4 of his Presidents Cup team are in the top 8, including Tiger Woods -4 68 T8.
The first round leader of this Emirates Australian Open at the Lakes club in Sydney is Aussie, Jarrod Lyle -7 65 with Dustin Johnson and Nick Watney right behind at
-6.
They were out in the morning before the wind started to whip up and that wind is forecast to blow hard for the next 3 days. Ian Baker Finch is commentating for Channel 10 in Sydney and he says this Lakes GC relies on the wind to play at an Open Championship level.
Tiger hit 14 of 18 GIR, a marked improvement, although he is still missing putts from inside 10 feet that used to be automatic. He missed 4 today and despite being wayward off several tees as usual, he scrambled very well. He is tied with another President Cupper, Bubba Watson and Aussie amateur Jake Higginbottom.
Pre tournament favourite Adam Scott, playing just in front of Woods is in with a -3 69, including the shot of the day, a 200 yard 6 iron that bounced just short of the pin at the par 5 8th and rolled right in for an albatross, while Australian legend Greg Norman delighted the crowd with a -1 71 in his first tournament action since shoulder surgery in February.
John Daly did a tin cup before quitting at the 11th, taking his son and heading straight for his hotel. His troubles started when he hit a practice ball from the adjoining driving range out of the bunker at #10, which embarrassed him, he gave up right there, 4 putting in hurried fashion from 15', then he dumped 6 or 7 balls into the water at 11, ran out of golf balls, told his partners Craig Parry and Hunter Mahan he was done and left. Australian Open tournament director Trevor Herden has blasted Daly as 'unprofessional' and told him to stay away from future tournaments.
"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, 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."
He revealed that Daly's invitation to play in the upcoming Australian PGA has been withdrawn, and he will never be invited back again. Two years ago Daly smashed a fans cell phone up against a tree saying the fan got in his face. Daly did not receive any appearance fee.
Daly tweeted "When u run out of balls u run out of balls. yes I shook my players partners hands & signed my card w/rules official"
I have long ago become tired of John and his antics, he is more of a sideshow now than a contender. He has apparently quit or WD from 27 events since 2000, including our Canadian Open in 2007 after an opening 75, saying his shoulder was sore. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite yourself, John Daly keeps biting the hands that feed him, and while he was never given the human tools to handle the fame he flashed to as a 21 year old when he won the PGA, his inability to handle misfortune on the golf course when he gets pissed off, which is one of the tenets of the game, has long since grown tiresome.
Trouble is John owes so much money from his troubled life he has to keep on running, collecting appearance money, and some prize money to stay afloat.
Unfortunately those opportunities will continue to twindle, as they have in Australia now, and I fear the worst for his future.
click here for live scoring http://www.pga.org.au/scores/683
click here for rd2 tee times http://www.pga.org.au/teetimes/683
Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles
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