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Daly smashes spectator's camera at Australian Open

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-11 15:06

SYDNEY - American golfer John Daly grabbed a spectator's camera and smashed it into a tree during the opening round of the Australian Open on Thursday.

John Daly of the US walks on the eighth hole during the Australian Open golf tournament in Sydney December 11, 2008. [Agencies]

Daly snatched the camera from a spectator who tried to take his photograph after he had pushed his tee shot into the rough.

Daly slammed the camera into the trunk of a tree and local media reported he told the spectator: "You want it back, I'll buy you a new one".

Tournament organisers later said the spectator had breached the conditions of entry by bringing the camera on to the course and Daly would not be punished over the incident.

"There will be no sanctions for John from Golf Australia," tournament director Trevor Herden said.

Daly, who was in danger of missing the cut after shooting six-over-par 78 at Royal Sydney, released a statement saying the spectator was at fault.

"I was looking to take a drop and the camera was six inches away from my face," he said.

"If I was 10-under par I would have felt the same. My eyes are still burning from the flash of the camera.

"I feel it was very rude to put a camera that close to anybody's face in any situation. The guy that had the camera had already taken a dozen shots at close range."

TROUBLED TIMES

Daly, twice a major winner, has been in Australia for the past month trying to rebuild his career but has struggled to make an impact, missing the cut at the Australian Masters and Australia PGA.

The 42-year-old was paid appearance money for the tournaments despite upsetting local officials on his last visit to Australia six years ago.

He was disqualified and then fined at the 2002 Australian PGA after he threw his putter into a lake and stormed off the course without signing his card.

Five years earlier, he angered local sponsors when he shot a third round 83 then raced through his final round in a little over two hours.

Daly has since slipped down the world rankings, has not held a US PGA Tour card since 2006 and has rarely been out of the headlines because of his troubled personal life.

Earlier this year, he split from his swing coach Butch Harmon and was arrested in North Carolina in October for being intoxicated.