John Daly will contest the Australian PGA Championship for a third time in December, keen to perform better this time at Coolum after a disastrous trip Down Under last year. The 43-year-old American contested the Australian Masters, PGA and Open in late November and December last year but missed the cut at all three events, by four shots each at the first two events and by six at the Open at Royal Sydney. The appearance in the final tournament was also marred by an incident during the opening round in which he snatched a fan&aposs camera and then smashed it into a tree after the spectator had taken a photo of him while he played a shot. Daly&aposs previous trip to the PGA several years earlier had also ended badly when he hurled his putter into the lake that runs alongside the 18th green and stormed out without signing his card, earning him an automatic disqualification and fine. But with six new holes at the Hyatt Regency Coolum course to test the field from December 10-13 on Queensland&aposs Sunshine Coast, Daly is keen to make his return after helping boost crowds at the event last year. “I am very much looking forward to play again in the PGA Championship and to see the course changes in Coolum,” Daly said. The PGA of Australia is also pleased to be able to welcome Daly back. “John has a long history with the Australian PGA Championship and is exceptionally popular with the Sunshine Coast fans,” said PGA of Australia chief executive Max Garske. “It is wonderful that John continues to support our event, and we are extremely excited to welcome him back yet again this year.” Meanwhile the PGA of Australia has joined forces with several of its overseas counterparts including the PGA of America to form the World PGA Alliance. The chief executives from the PGAs of Australia, America and Great Britain & Ireland led the way in establishing the alliance after the third World PGA Conference was held in Sydney 16 months ago. With the PGAs of Canada, Europe, Germany, Japan, South Africa and Sweden also joining the alliance to bring together the 56,000 PGA pros and 22,000 courses worldwide, Garske hailed the move. “The PGA of Australia is proud to be part of the World PGA Alliance and join forces with its international colleagues in the interest of PGA members globally,” Garske said. “This alliance will open up significant opportunities for PGA members both in Australia and internationally, and will act as a catalyst for the establishment of many more significant global golf industry initiatives into the future.” Part of the agreement means that the PGAs from all over the world will share their knowledge to ensure that all members and some newer golf territories share best practice in teaching and playing standards for both adults and youth. The announcement was officially made on Wednesday at the Oakland Hills Golf Club in Michigan, site of this week&aposs US PGA Championship, with PGA of America president Jim Remy also delighted with the new alliance. “The PGA of America is proud to join its global colleagues in golf in forming the World PGA Alliance, which is an outgrowth of the universal respect that the game of golf holds across cultural and language barriers,” said Remy. “The Alliance is vital to the continued growth of the game and business of golf in emerging golf territories and will reinforce the numerous roles fulfilled by the PGA Professionals in instruction, player development and the business of golf.” The first formal meeting of the new Alliance will be held during the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando next year and will include a global symposium on junior golf.