Daly (+5) Misses Cut; Rose Leads

First, Tiger Woods declined to show up. Then, John Daly put on a bad show.

With Woods skipping the Greater Milwaukee Open, site of his pro debut last year, event organizers were delighted when Daly chose to attend the tournament that sorely lacked a headliner.

But Daly missed the 36-hole cut Friday after shooting a four-over-par 75 for a two-day total of plus five.

“I’m going to head on home and find some shafts,” said Daly, who blamed his 139th-place finish on an ill-fated switch from graphite irons to steel.

Daly’s departure left a hodgepodge of mostly unknowns contending for the $1.3-million purse, including a top prize of $234,000.

Leader Clarence Rose shot a five-under 66 for a 133 total. Rookie Spike McRoy was a shot back after an eight-under 63, one stroke shy of the Brown Deer Park Golf Course record.

And Jim Thorpe, who won here in 1985 and is only 18 months shy of joining the senior tour, was among six golfers at seven under.

Daly, who remains one of the tour’s top drawing cards despite a career hampered by alcohol problems, drew the biggest gallery, which will have to find somebody else to cheer for over the weekend.

“Yeah, the fans are great,” Daly said. “It’s just kind of embarrassing playing this bad.”

Daly consistently hit his irons wide right and had four bogeys and a double bogey.

“I tried steel this week thinking I’d get more control, but I couldn’t hit my irons,” Daly said. “It was stupid on my part.”

Bob Duval, who entered the $1.1-million Pittsburgh Senior Classic only after Orville Moody withdrew because of a broken wrist, shot a four-under 68 to tie four others for the first-round lead.

Duval, the father of PGA Tour pro David Duval, played in a qualifier Monday but finished fifth and was the first alternate as play was set to begin. He got in after Moody fell and injured his wrist in a pro-am outing.