It will come as no real surprise to golf fans that controversial player, John Daly, has created more drama by revealing that he is currently serving a ban from the PGA Tour for inappropriate behaviour.

Although the PGA Tour has remained firm in its policy not to talk about any sanctions or bans imposed upon individuals, the player himself has stated that he has been banned for a total of six months for behaving in a manner which brings the image of the sport into disrepute.

He revealed that he had chosen to speak about the ban in order to remain truthful to his fans and the tournament organisers who may be affected by his absence. The player has not been present on the Tour since October of last year and he has now revealed that he is feeling “the lowest” he has ever been.

It is thought that Daly’s suspension has resulted from four incidents which occurred during the latter stages of last year. One such incident saw police officers in North Carolina take the player into custody after he was found drunk outside a restaurant.

Daly is no stranger to controversy but Bud Martin, his agent, believes that he now has the potential to turn over a new leaf. Martin stated that Daly’s New Year’s resolution is to “make positive things happen on the golf course”.

John Daly has stated that he remains unsure as to when the suspension will end but he is hopeful that the end date will be around May.

Earlier this month, it seemed as if trouble was brewing in Tiger Woods’ world. After all, his caddie, Steve Williams, made negative remarks about Phil Mickelson and even implicated Woods in these controversial comments.

However, Woods has managed to play down the incident and avoid major controversy by taking no formal action against Williams. The incident started when Williams, who has been a reliable caddie for Woods for many years, stated that neither he nor Woods liked Mickelson.

This embarrassing episode was dealt with by Woods in a typically private fashion, with talks occurring behind closed doors between Woods and Mickelson, and Woods and Williams.

He was refreshingly honest about the incident, stating that the comments from his caddie were entirely “inappropriate” but was also keen to stress that the incident has been “discussed and dealt with”.

Woods continued to state that, despite the comments from Williams, he has always respected Mickelson, who is currently ranked at number three in the world, whilst Woods inhabits the top spot.

Woods believes that the issue has been dealt with but others are not so sure. Mickelson’s reaction to the incident was to praise his own caddie, Jim Mackay, implicitly criticising the services of Steve Williams in the process.

Furthermore, the former coach of the world number one, Butch Harmon, has spoken out in public against Williams, calling his comments “deplorable”. He also revealed that Mickelson is one of the most popular players in the world of golf and so could not understand why the comments had been made.

The former US Open champion, Corey Pavin, has been named as captain of the United States Ryder Cup team for the 2010 tournament, which will be held in Wales at Celtic Manor.

The player has some experience in the role of a leader, since he acted as Tom Lehman’s assistant two years ago at the K Club in Ireland. Pavin will be hoping to turn the fortunes of the American team in Europe around once he takes charge, since they have not won on the continent since 1993.

Pavin still remembers this victory, since he was an instrumental part of the successful team. The player, who has revealed that becoming captain of the Ryder Cup team is a “dream come true”, will hope to mirror the fortunes of Paul Azinger, who managed to lead the American team to victory over the European team in September.

Azinger could not be persuaded to continue his role as captain but Pavin is undoubtedly a sensible choice. The player, who is forty-nine years of age, was ecstatic at the news, since the tournament, which in his opinion is “the greatest event in the world”, is in his “blood”.

Pavin’s golfing career has been a long one but he still remembers his debut in the Ryder Cup in 1991. He reflected upon this clash in an emotional manner, stating that “listening to the national anthem, experiencing the pressure for the first time” reinforced his love for the competition and made him hungry for future success.