American joins Race to Dubai in new attempt to get career back on track
'Wild Thing' John Daly has come out of the blue - and jail - to add the X factor to next week's 50th edition of the UBS Hong Kong Open.
Two weeks after spending 24 hours sobering up in a north California jail, the American will try to resurrect his fading career at the US$2.5 million tournament at the Hong Kong Golf Club.
But the two-time major winner, who has plummeted to 783rd in the world rankings aged 42, still has the pulling power that promoters love. And despite his notoriety in the United States, where many tournaments and fans have grown impatient with the wayward talent, Daly still has a big following in Hong Kong and Asia.
'He came to us,' said Martin Capstick, managing director of promoters Parallel Media Group. 'While it's come out the blue, it is not a complete surprise. I understand he is keen to join the European Tour and get a good start in the 'Race to Dubai'.'
The Hong Kong Open will feature twice in the new 13-month European Tour calendar, which culminates in the Dubai World Championship next November 19-22. It offers prize money of US$10 million, with another US$10 million split between the top 15 in the final standings.
'Daly still has lots of fans in Hong Kong and around the region,' Capstick said. 'He is a wonderfully talented golfer.'
