GERMANTOWN, Tenn. — John Daly makes his return to the PGA Tour this week.
His return to the U.S. Open will have to wait at least another year.
In his first time competing in America since the PGA Tour lifted his six-month suspension, Daly managed only four birdies over 36 holes of a U.S. Open qualifier Monday. He shot 1-over 143 and didn’t come close to getting one of 13 spots available in Tennessee.
“My feet are tired,” Daly said after politely declining an interview with a Memphis TV station.
Daly was awarded a sponsor’s exemption for the St. Jude Classic, which starts Thursday, and he took one positive out of two mediocre rounds at Ridgeway (70) and Germantown (73). At least it helped him make the transition from playing in Europe.
“Being over there for five weeks, the greens are so much slower there and I wasn’t used to the speed,” he said later. “I haven’t putted on Bermuda greens in a long time. Boy, talk about not even sniffing a putt.”
Among those who also qualified were David Duval, amateur Rickie Fowler of Oklahoma State for the second straight year and 50-year-old Tom Lehman, who once played in the final group four straight years in the U.S. Open.
