Daly in danger of missing Masters

An eagle and birdie in his last three holes could not save John Daly from a round of 80 at the Players Championship. And it looked likely to cost him a place in the Masters.

Daly, ninth on the US Tour money list after a marvellous return to form this season, has to stay in the top 10 to earn a place at Augusta in two weeks’ time. But he was 80th of the 83 finishers and that opened the door to a host of players to go past him.

The controversial American was then asked about the fact that China’s Zhang Lian-wei, winner of last year’s Singapore Masters, has been given an invitation to the Masters despite being well outside the world’s top 150.

“It’s weird, but that’s just what the Masters wanted,” he said. “How many guys in the top 50 were invited to Singapore? How many American guys played there?”

It used to be that all US Tour winners in the preceding year were given a place at Augusta, but that was changed recently.

Daly, who beat England’s Luke Donald in a play-off for the Buick Invitational earlier this month, commented: “I don’t make the rules, but I think they should if they want the strongest field. The players who win out here are the best players.”

Colin Montgomerie today called the invitation to Zhang “clearly a commercial decision” and it might not only be Daly with an axe to grind.

Lee Westwood was seventh on last year’s European Order of Merit, but will miss out unless another special invitation is issued. That appears unlikely at this late stage.

Brian Davis, ninth on the same money list, was anxiously waiting to see if he had kept his place in the world’s top 50 to earn an invite. If he slips out and is not invited he could be unhappy too watching Zhang take part.