The strange trip of John Daly may have done some good today, revealing yet another ridiculous policy in the PGA Tour handbook of Tim Finchem. The following quote originates in a Golf.Com story on the Arnold Palmer Invitational:

“And the thing that upsets me is I cost Nick O’Hern and Ryuji Imada, so now I got these guys mad at me, too.”

Imada and O’Hern were alternates for the pro-am, and both thought they were assigned to the afternoon group. Instead, they were the first two names called when Daly didn’t show, and when neither was around, they also were disqualified from the $5.8 million event.

What is the protocol here? If we believe Daly, a tournament worker gave him the Thursday time not the Wednesday one he requested. Since he already had played the Monday Pro-Am, where is the sympathy? Honestly, how many pro-ams should he have to play? Is the event that cash-strapped?

On to O’Hern and Imada. Where they supposed to wait on stand-by at the first tee, on the off chance that someone, anyone, might pull a no-show? Unless someone can elaborate on the pro-am policy, it seems to be a case of the tail wagging the dog.

I don’t imagine that anyone shows up to see Daly anymore, nor do O’Hern and Imada represent a specific demographic on the rise in golf-biz influence. However, the API is now without three talented competitors with no good reason. Mr. Tim? Mr. Arnold? Answers?

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