Daly to play in Australian Masters

Nov 17, 2008 - 7:02 PM BRISBANE, Australia (Ticker) -- John Daly has been down. Now, he's heading Down Under.

Daly, whose career has been derailed by his personal demons, will participate in the Australian Masters later this month, tournament officials announced Monday.

After playing in this week's Hong Kong Open, Daly will head to the Huntingdale tournament in Melbourne from November 27-30.

"I am looking forward to coming back to Australia," Daly said. "I've always enjoyed my trips and I'm looking forward to competing."

Daly will be hoping to avoid another embarrassment Down Under.

In February 1997, Daly angered tournament officials when he played his final round in just 2 hours, 10 minutes. That came after he shot a third-round 83.

Five years later, Daly endured another debacle. Playing a week after his mother died, Daly threw his putter and ball into a lake on the 18th green in the Australian PGA. He was later disqualified and ordered to pay a $5,600 fine for verbally abusing an official.

A two-time major winner, Daly has been without a PGA Tour card since 2006 and has become a wreck both on and off the course.

This past season, Daly made just five of 17 cuts and earned a mere $56,000.

In October, Daly's career took another sour turn when he spent a night in jail after being found "extremely intoxicated" outside a restaurant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Daly had hired swing coach Butch Harmon earlier this year. But Harmon quit after a week when Daly spent a rain delay in a Florida tournament at a Hooters hospitality tent, then returned to play with Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden as his caddie. Harmon said Daly was "more interested in getting drunk" than playing golf.

Daly, who won the 1991 PGA Championship and 1995 British Open, is currently ranked No. 783 in the world.