Golf: Daly set to take a break

JOHN DALY has withdrawn from both the Alfred Dunhill Cup and Toyota World Match Play Championship. Daly's manager, John Mascatello, confirmed that the American's decision at the weekend to take a break from the game included next month's events at St Andrews and Wentworth.

His absence from the latter will almost certainly lead to a call-up for the five-times winner, Seve Ballesteros, who had originally been left out of the 12-strong field.

As for the Dunhill Cup, the United States currently have only one of their three-strong team. Fred Couples, Daly and Payne Stewart won the title last October, but the out-of- form Stewart told the organisers he did not want to play and now Daly is out too.

Russell Weir and Craig Maltman, of Scotland, beat their United States rivals, Jeff Roth and Ron McDougal, 5 and 4 to give Europe a 3-2 lead after lightning halted the first day of the PGA Cup at Palm Beach, Florida.