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Daly thinks fans' push angered Ryder captain
by Associated Press
NORD EICHENRIED, Germany - As the only two-time major winner to miss the U.S. Ryder Cup team, John Daly finds his lone place in history of little consolation.
Daly won the PGA Championship in 1991, the first year a major winner didn't automatically qualify for the team, then rebounded from his well publicized ups and downs to win the 1995 British Open.
"I've got two records going; first guy to win a major never been on the Ryder Cup, and also won two majors and never been on the Ryder Cup. So, you know, making history," Daly said and laughed on Thursday.
But Daly, who shared second after the first day of the BMW Open, clearly was hurt at not being one of American captain Hal Sutton's picks against Europe next month.
"Thank the media and thank the fans for kind of pushing Hal to pick me, but I think it kind of pissed him off. I really do," Daly said. "And then he comes out saying it's not a popularity contest. Well, I think that might have, pressuring Hal like that, he may have just turned away from it all."
Sutton did say afterward he wasn't impressed by the campaign for Daly, still one of the game's biggest draws on both sides of the Atlantic.
"I'm not picking on John. But I've never played the popularity game. And I'm not going to play the popularity game," Sutton said.
Daly admits his poor play at the PGA Championship also didn't help. With a chance to still qualify, he blew up with a 81 and 76 and missed the cut.
Daly considers Sutton a friend, with both being die-hard fans of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.
With or without him, Daly is predicting a great Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills in Michigan from Sept. 17-19.
"We are very strong. It's just amazing watching Tiger not play his best and finish with seconds and thirds all year long," he said. "I think it's going to be very close. You guys (Europeans) have some young guns on your team that fear nothing, they are not going to worry about who they play against."
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