SOUTHPORT, England (AP) -John Daly is out of excuses and the British Open after an 89 on Friday left him at 29-over-par for the tournament and a staggering 20 strokes on the wrong side of the cut line.
Daly began the week talking about injuries and blasting former coach Butch Harmon, who ended their brief relationship in March after saying the former Open champion was drinking too much and more interested in partying than practicing. Daly said those remarks cost him endorsements and caused him considerable pain.
His round Friday included a quintuple-bogey 9 and three doubles. He missed an 18-inch putt at the 18th and was cheered by fans who howled when the "Wild Thing" was in his prime and pounding tee shots through the wind and into the distance. He walked off the green, stopped to sign an autograph - left-handed, while cradling a cigarette in his right hand - then signed his card and climbed into the back of a waiting car. He declined comment.
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LINKS TO THE BOOTH: Four straight bogeys late in his round kept Tom Watson from making the cut. He followed his 74 in miserable weather with a 76 in slightly better conditions, missing a weekend tee time by one shot.
Next up for Watson is the Senior British Open at Royal Troon, one of five links courses where he won the British Open.
But he won't be leaving Royal Birkdale just yet.
Watson reluctantly agreed to try broadcasting this weekend and will join ABC Sports as a commentator.
"They asked me to do it, and I said, 'I don't want to do that.' But on the other hand, the British Open is not a bad place for you to do it," Watson said. "You have a chance to play in it, see the golf course, and tell the viewers what you think of a particular shot. I said, 'You know what? I probably can do that. Let me give it a try.' So that's what I'm going to do the next couple days."
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MONTY PLAYS ON: Colin Montgomerie started his round only three shots out of the lead. He finished hoping to make the cut.
He made it with on shot to spare, overcoming an atrocious start in he had two double bogeys and a triple bogey before reaching the seventh tee. The worst of it was No. 5, a triple bogey from the fairway. After an approach into thick grass, Monty not only whiffed with a wedge, the attempt buried the ball even deeper.
He took a penalty drop and it rolled into a divot.
