John Daly, resplendent in finish-line formal,
went down under to play the Australian Open.
State Of The PGA Tour:
Daly Popularity
Remains Rabid
Slimmed-down bad boy still draws
fair share of sponsor exemptions
The name John Daly is one that certain tournament sponsors still find alluring, even though he
hasn’t been competitive in two years. A six-month
suspension by the PGA Tour cost him most of the
2009 season but not his appeal.
He has secured three Tour starts in the first two
months of the season, starting at the Sony Open
this week in Honolulu. He said he also has exemptions to the San Diego Open and Pebble Beach.
All of which must be a comfort to Tiger
Woods, for whom Long John has assumed
the unofficial role of life coach. Yes, Tiger, be
prepared to cringe again when reporters start
asking John what advice he would give.
Remember the date Feb. 22, 2009, because
it’s the day the music died at the Northern Trust
Open. And we're not talking about JD's guitar.
Northern Trust Corp., sponsor of the PGA
Tour stop in Pacific Palisades, Calif., was ripped
last year for what critics said was uninhibited
spending at a golf tournament after taking bailout funds from the U.S. government.
Because of that, the company said its 2010 event
wouldn’t include live musical entertainment.
Tom Lehman, who turns 51 in March, isn’t
quite ready yet to spend all of his time with his
cronies.
Lehman, who earned over $1.1 million split-
ting time between the PGA Tour and Champions
Tour in 2009, exercised a one-time exemption
for being in the top 50 in career earnings in
oder to play the PGA Tour in 2010.
