Daly gives club a toss, walks out of tournament

COOLUM, Australia -- John Daly threw his putter and ball into the water near the 18th green. Then he shook hands with his playing partners and walked alone up the fairway to his villa on the course.

Daly was through for the afternoon -- and for the tournament -- after shooting a 78 Friday to complete a sad, frustrating few days at the Australian PGA.

Playing a week after his mother's death, Daly was disqualified for failing to sign his scorecard following a second round in which Jarrod Moseley shot a 6-under-par 66 to take the lead.

Daly was fined $5,600 by the Australasian PGA Tour, according to a tour official who spoke on condition of anonymity. He also was ordered to write a letter of apology to the tour official he verbally abused, and to his playing partners, Craig Parry and Greg Norman. Daly wrote the letters before he left Australia on Saturday morning, the tour official said.

Divers searching for lost balls at the 18th green lake retrieved Daly's ball and putter, both of which will be added to a memorabilia collection in the Hyatt Regency resort clubhouse. Daly donated his bag and clubs to the Australian branch of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Australasian PGA Tour operations director Andrew Langford-Jones said that while the tour did not appreciate Daly's unacceptable behavior, Daly apologized when the two met.

"We don't condone what John did out there, but he came out here under a lot of pressure, and he pulled a lot of people to the tournament," Langford-Jones said.

Daly's appearance fee was believed to be about $200,000.

Daly was upset with an official's ruling on the 13th hole and played the final six holes in 9 over. He refused to sign his scorecard, resulting in his disqualification.

This sort of display was all too familiar for Daly, who on top of his meltdowns on the course has battled problems with drinking, eating and gambling.

"It was vintage Daly, but I forgive him," tournament promoter Tony Roosenberg said. "It's been a very difficult week for him."

At the 1997 U.S. Open, Daly walked off the course after the second round without telling his partners. In 1992, at the Australian Masters, he was disqualified after failing to sign a scorecard. A year earlier in Jamaica, he was disqualified for signing an incorrect card.

Daly was playing his third straight week in the Asia-Pacific region. He was to fly to the United States for the funeral on Monday of his mother, Lou, who died Nov. 21 from cancer at 65.

Daly had said he would dedicate a victory this weekend to his mother. He has never won in Australia.