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John Daly (Getty Images)

On Thursday at the Australian Open John Daly put six balls in the water on the eleventh hole and walked off the course. It’s interesting because I heard one report from TSN saying it was seven, but when you shoot more than five balls in the water on one hole, and have no interest in continuing your round, I’m not surprised if one would lose count thereafter.

Remarkably Daly already had a two stroke penalty on the tenth hole for shooting the wrong ball out of the bunker!

I could blog about the fact that Tiger Woods currently has a one stroke lead over Australian Peter O’Malley, or the fact that Woods doesn’t seem too fazed by Steve Williams’ inappropriate comments at the Caddies’ dinner last week at the World Golf Championships in Shanghai, China (won by German Martin Kaymer), but I find Daly’s performance much more interesting.

Why? Because I think there is some sort of attachment to Daly with the Everyman golfer. People have a connection with him. They pull for him constantly in loud cheers when things go right and deeply feel sorry for him when he experiences grief and sorrow (history of divorce and alcohol issues).

But the bottom line is, why is he still getting sponsor’s exemptions? Why is he taking a spot of a golfer that deserves a spot considerably more than he does? I understand the ratings issue, and when Daly is on his game, he drives ratings. But I also feel for those golfers who are on the brink of making the PGA Tour– the top prospects in the game–that are not getting the same opportunities because Daly’s personality is of high interest to the golf world.