SOUTHPORT, England — Heath Slocum debated whether to come to the British Open as an alternate. Now he doesn’t want to leave.
Slocum had planned to be in Milwaukee this week for the U.S. Bank Championship, but that was before Kenny Perry stood by his decision not to play in golf’s oldest championship and David Toms withdrew. That moved Slocum up to No. 1 on the alternate list, and it left him with a difficult choice — fly to England with no guarantee of playing, or go to Milwaukee with the chance of passing up a spot in the British Open.
“It was 50-50 to come here and sit,” Slocum said Wednesday. “You hate to miss out, especially in a Ryder Cup year. It’s an opportunity to earn some points, get another win or help with the FedEx Cup. It’s effectively a week off if I’m not in here.”
Slocum is at No. 22 in the Ryder Cup standings, and with the exchange rate, no other tournament offers more money than the British Open.
So why not just go to Milwaukee?
“Because if I got in here, I’d be sick to my stomach,” Slocum said.
On the eve of the tournament, his best hope for a withdrawal was defending champion Padraig Harrington, who injured his right wrist.
Harrington said after 18 holes that it was 75 percent he would play, 50 percent he would finish.
“I don’t want to see anyone get hurt,” Slocum said. “But if they withdraw, I’m here.”
Daly takes early swings.
John Daly said his lifestyle has changed and accused his former coach, Butch Harmon, of spreading lies about him when he announced in March that he would not work with the former British Open champion because of his problems with alcohol.
“I think his lies kind of destroyed my life a little for a little while,” Daly said. “. . . (Harmon) told The Golf Channel that I’m just a drunk.”
Asked to comment on Daly’s remarks, Harmon said: “That’s typical John Daly, blaming everyone for his problems but himself.”
The Associated Press
