Much to the disappointment of local golfing fans, two-time Major tournament champion John Daly has withdrawn from the upcoming BMW Asian Open due to a fear of flying.
His hesitancy to fly was spawned by the Sept. 11 attacks on the US.
According to Daly those attacks, combined with the more recent crash in Queens, New York; have caused him to cut down dramatically on air travel.
Daly has also pulled out of the Omega Hong Kong Open.
The events he has withdrawn from are the two closing events of the 2001 Asian Tour and the opening legs of the 2001/2002 European Tour.
"I was looking forward to playing in both events, but in the present climate, I do not feel comfortable flying. I am disappointed and I must apologize to the golf fans in Asia and both BMW and Omega, but I'm sure they both understand my feelings," said Daly.
BMW Asian Open events began yesterday with opening ceremonies and a shoot out at the Westin Resort, Ta Shee.
The tournament proper starts on Thursday and runs through Sunday.
Fiji's Vijay Singh, Michael Campbell, Miguel Jimenez and Nick Faldo will join 54 other golfers for the event.
Daily tickets cost between NT$300 and NT$400. An NT$800 ticket is also available covering the four days of competition.
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