Daly Pays Homage To Stevie Down Under: Smashes Spectator's Camera

However, unlike Stevie "I gladly chuck Nikon or Canon" Williams, Australian Open contestant John Daly offered to pay for the trashed camera. Sort of like when John Belushi bashes that folk singer's guitar in Animal House, and then shrugs and says sorry. Hey, that's at least two things Daly has in common with Bluto. Well and the drinking part too, so make it three.

After pushing his tee shot wide on the ninth hole -- his last -- Daly walked into a clump of trees, where spectator Brad Clegg tried to take a picture at close range.

Daly reportedly snatched the camera and smashed it against the nearest tree, telling the man, "You want it back, I'll buy you a new one."

Asked if he would seek compensation, Clegg told the Australian Associated Press: "I don't think I'll be chasing him for the money. He's a big bloke!"

Update on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 11:04 PM by Geoff

The Times features this story and a photo of the cameraman with his wounded weapon.

Comments

[John]

What has not been reported is that Clegg tried to photograph Daly on a previous hole and was asked to stop. He persisted, and got what he deserved.

[Huh]

Wow it certainly didn't take long for somebody to defend that POS Daly. Regardless if the person was asked not to do it anymore there is zero reason for any player or caddie to take and/or damage any personal property that belongs to a spectator. Period. And that includes Steve Williams, etc.... This individual at this event was in the wrong however JD was even more in the wrong.

Since cameras are not allowed by fans at this event during the competition and since the fan was asked to stop doing it why didn't some official connected to the event take the camera or escort the fan out of the event?

The fact that Daly destroyed the camera is further proof that he has completely spiraled out of control. Had he hit the fan would that have been okay as well? I'm sure that some JD apologists (and there are many) would think that is okay.

JD (regardless of some of the good that he does for others) is an embarrassment to the game and has been for quite some time. The fact that tournament organizers continue (yes you IMG among others) paying JD to show up outside of the US only serves as a defacto affirmation/acceptance of his behavior. He brings attention to the events for all the wrong reasons.

He needs to be banned/suspended from all professional golf tours ASAP. This should have been done awhile ago but it seems that nobody has the guts to do it.

I'm sure that all of this negative publicity for one of the most important if not most important events in Australian golf is not what they were asking for.

[smails]

i haven't looked at Daly's finish, so which is larger-

e bay auction of that camera

-or-

daly's check that week

[Chuck]

It has been widely reported that the guy was unaccredited, and was at some point aware that he was not supposed to have a camera. And, apparently, at least one eyewitness reported that the guy had been in Daly's face for a few holes (he'd have to be, with that tiny camera and its short lens) and had been told once that was enough.

I am suprised that more of the reporting doesn't also include the fact that Daly had suffered a serious injury not long ago due to another unauthorized spectator/photographer.

I think the punishment fit the crime in this case.

There may be lots of very good reasons to question Steve Williams as a sociopath, and to question John Daly'e personal stability. But more generally, breaking the cameras of people who break rules to bring them to tournaments and interfere with play seems like an okay thing in my book.

[Bob S.]

Logo Bogey - Nike hat and Addidas shirt ... maybe Canon will give him an endorsement for that itty bitty little camera ...

[thusgone]

stupid, stupid, stupid. once you get out of junior high, you should have gotten rid of all those silly ideas about self-administered vigilante justice. this is the same kind of thinking that motivated lynching back in the day.

it is not daly's place to enforce the rules on the spectators. daly, of all people should be able to understand folks who just can't -- or won't-- follow the rules, no matter how many opportunities they are given.

and it just compounds the stupidity to break the offending camera.

one day one of these guys is going to try to bully the wrong fan and somebody is going to get hurt. then we'll all tsk tsk the decline in golfing decorum or whatever, and chuck will likely find a way to blame it on the evil masterminds at titleist.