One of the more popular players on PGA Tour Champions will not be in Victoria for the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship.
John Daly, known for his booming drives and his colourful Loudmouth golf attire, withdrew from the event, which begins Friday on the Mountain course.
Daly pulled out of the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach after 10 holes on Round 3 on Sunday due to a shoulder injury. He then withdrew from the Victoria stop on Monday morning, which was unfortunate for local organizers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like wanting to watch Jamie Benn or Tyler Seguin at the World Cup of Hockey and not being able to because of injury. Unfortunately that鈥檚 completely out of our control,鈥� said tournament director David Skitt.
鈥淕etting injured during a tournament is rare, but happens. Unfortunately it鈥檚 wrong guy at wrong time,鈥� Skitt added, but he was quick to point out the strength of the field.
鈥淚n total there are 530 combined victories in this field,鈥� he said, referring to PGA or PGA Tour Champions winners teeing it up this week, many of which will be in pro-ams on Wednesday and Thursday.
There are also 14 PGA major champions and 19 major winners on the Champions tour.
鈥淚 was watching the Pebble Beach tournament on Sunday and didn鈥檛 catch the injury on the broadcast, so I wanted to double-check it [Monday] morning. It鈥檚 unfortunate, but there are many great players here and the course is in great shape. We鈥檝e busted our rear ends to make sure the course is set up and ready to go,鈥� said Skitt.
The Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship features a field of 81 senior tour players battling for the $2.5-million US purse, of which $375,000 goes to the winner.
Paul Goydos, who won the last Pacific Links Championship in 2014 (it was cancelled last year), is in the field, as is Bernhard Langer, Paul Broadhurst, Vijay Singh, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Colin Montgomerie, Mark O'Meara, Mark Calcavecchia, Lee Janzen, Rocco Mediate, Jesper Parnevik, Jeff Sluman, Larry Mize, Bob Tway, Fred Funk, Joe Durant, David Frost and Canadians Stephen Ames, Rod Spittle and Victoria鈥檚 own Jim Rutledge.
