John Daly yesterday threatened never to play another US Open - after taking 11 at one hole during the final round of the tournament at Pinehurst.

Only two weeks after six-putting from eight feet for a 10 at the Memorial Tournament, the controversial American went into double figures once more at the 485-yard par four eighth and, three days after lying one shot off the lead, finished last on the 29 over par total of 309.

Then he said: "From now on my Majors will be the other three and the Players' Championship.

"I don't know if I will play another US Open. It's not worth my time - I'm not going to go to Pebble Beach next year and watch the USGA (United States Golf Association) ruin that course.

"The courses are set up too unfair. The USGA want to embarrass the tournament and the players. It's not golf - it's crazy."

After his opening 68, Daly had tumbled right out of contention by following that with rounds of 77 and 81 and he concluded with a 13 over par 83 after going to the turn in 46.

He had bogeyed the 482-yard fifth, triple-bogeyed the 222-yard sixth and then went completely to pieces two holes later.

After going over the green in two he tried to putt up the bank and the ball came back to him. The next attempt did the same and this time, as it returned to him, he whacked it over the green.

That constituted his fifth stroke, plus a two-shot penalty for hitting a moving ball. He then chipped onto the green and three-putted.

The lady scorer following the match did well to keep count and commented: "I thought he was going to walk off the course."

But rather than leave former winner Tom Kite on his own, Daly continued - and even birdied the 383-yard 13th after a massive drive and pitch to eight feet. But he bogeyed the 15th and double-bogeyed the 16th to come home in 37.

The worst thing about it was that it did not come as a total surprise. Golf fans have seen it all before. The recovering alcoholic, still paying off an estimated $9 million of gambling debts and divorce payments, has not won a title since beating Costantino Rocca in a play-off for the Open at St Andrews in 1995, but has remained one of the most talked about players in the game.

Five months after his Open victory he shot three rounds of 80 and an 84 to finish 45 shots behind winner Fred Couples at the Johnnie Walker world championship in Jamaica.

In April 1996 he had 12 at one hole during the BellSouth Classic, then two months later a second round 89 at the Dutch Open.

Then in March last year he set a US Tour record with 18 during the Bay Hill Invitational - six balls went in a lake there - and then missed the cut in the Open at Birkdale after taking what marker Payne Stewart estimated was a 10 at the last hole. He was not sure because Daly thrashed around in a bunker so frenetically that everybody lost count.

Daly's next appearance is at the Irish Open starting in 10 days time.