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Wife gives John Daly a rude awakening

John Daly smokes a cigarette while on the putting green after a rain delay on Friday at the Stanford St Jude Championship tournament in Memphis, Tennessee. Daly told authorities his wife tried stab him with a steak knife, and the golfer had red marks on his cheeks when he showed up to play. PHOTO: AP

John Daly's messy personal life overshadowed golf once again on Friday, this time when he accused his wife of waking him up by attacking him with a steak knife.

Daly was the talk at the TPC Southwind on a day when thunderstorms forced a three-hour delay, and Adam Scott's four-under 66 gave him a one-stroke clubhouse lead when darkness suspended play on Friday night in the Stanford St Jude Championship.

A total of 26 players were unable to complete the round. They were due to return yesterday morning to finish play. The third round was expected to start by midday with players going off both the first and 10th tees.

Daly, playing on a sponsor's exemption, was four over after following his opening 70 with a 74. The projected cut yesterday morning was four or five over.

Scott topped the leaderboard at seven-under 133, a total he didn't think would stand up after a cold front stilled the gusty wind and softened the tricky greens on the 7,239-yard course.

Fellow Australian Andrew Buckle had a chance to pass Scott with what could be the best round here so far. He started the day at even and was six under with three holes left after seven birdies and a bogey.

Scott had a chance for his second straight 36-hole lead. The world's fourth-ranked player led by a stroke last week in the Memorial en route to a fifth-place tie.

"Nice to be leading now or at the end of the day or whenever this round finishes," Scott said as he finished up with a par on No. 9, his 18th. "Conditions are perfect. If it stays like this, birdies to be had out there."

Brian Gay, who waited out the delay after putting his second shot on the green at No. 18, holed out from 45 feet for birdie and a 66 that left him a stroke back at six under. Fredrik Jacobson, who shared the first-round lead with Scott, was three under after a 70.

Two-time Memphis winner David Toms (68) was two under along with Duffy Waldorf (69), Brian Davis (68), Scott Verplank (69), Woody Austin (66). Jose Maria Olazabal and Brandt Snedeker also were two under. Olazabal had a hole to play, and Snedeker had two to finish.

Daly started grabbing attention as he prepared to start his round on the No. 1 tee before the delay, with both cheeks looking as if he'd been clawed. News of the fight between Daly and his wife, who each sued for divorce last October, surfaced during the delay.

He released a statement and accused his wife of attacking him as he woke up in his home near the course. Sheriff's deputies were called, and Daly said he had made a complaint with the sheriff's department and would have no further comment during an investigation by police.

No charges had been filed as of late Friday afternoon.

He had plenty of supporters through a round he started tied for eighth. He had two double bogeys, five bogeys and five birdies.

Daly splashed a flyer from the rough into the water left of the 18th green, tapped in a four-footer for bogey and still had fans cheering him as he walked away from the scoring trailer with a pair of bodyguards who spent the day with him.
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