John Daly withdrew from the U.S. Open midway through
the second round Friday, citing mental and physical fatigue,
when he walked off the course without informing playing
partners Ernie Els and Payne Stewart (Mult., 6/14).
Callaway Golf then issued a statement supporting Daly.
Company Chair Ely Callaway: "We feel that John Daly showed
his remarkable qualities in making the cut at the Memorial
Tournament and the Kemper Open on successive weeks, and that
he was simply trying to do too much too soon by playing
three straight weeks -- especially under U.S. Open
conditions." Daly will now take "time off" from the PGA
Tour and begin a fitness program (Callaway Golf).
AD AND SUBTRACT: Callaway VP/PR & Marketing Larry
Dorman said that the company's "Keep It Straight, John" TV
and print ads "will be pulled" and replaced with other
Callaway ads (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 6/14). Callaway was an
official sponsor of NBC's coverage of the U.S. Open and the
ads were off before the weekend broadcasts (THE DAILY).
Dorman, on Daly: "We never wanted to put any pressure on him
to play. He wanted to play. He made the cut in two events,
ran out of gas on the weekend" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/14). In
Chicago, Greg Couch wrote that "there is no suggestion that
Daly's troubles Thursday had anything to do with drinking."
Callaway's Dorman said that "it was a matter of fitness, as
Daly has lost 30 pounds over the past few months but lost it
too quickly" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/14).
