David Duval begins his day at the U.S. Open up, but then he comes down again
By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
In Print: Saturday, June 20, 2009
David Duval takes a shot on No. 11 during the continuation of the first round. The veteran shot 3-under 67 but fell to 1 under through 12 holes of the second round.
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — One minute it was there, as bright and as shiny as ever. The next, it had vanished again.
Could someone please alert the authorities?
The mystery of David Duval's stolen ability continues.
It happened again Friday. One moment, Duval was hovering near the top of the U.S. Open leaderboard, just like in the old days, and the next, he was tumbling down it. After spending most of the afternoon as a comeback story, it appeared he was fading away.
When you think of Duval's career, doesn't that sum it up fairly well? And isn't it a shame?
There for a while, Duval had it going, didn't he? You can say that about his career, and you can say it about his performance at the U.S. Open on Friday. For 18 holes Duval fought through the slop and muck of Bethpage Black for 3-under 67. He looked smart. He looked efficient. He looked resilient.
It was enough to remind everyone just how good Duval was in 1999, when he was the No. 1 player in the world and shot 59 in the last round to win the Bob Hope Classic. Only two others had shot a round that low in PGA Tour history.
Except by the time you sorted through the memories, Duval was on his way down again at the Open. He started his second round in the late afternoon, and he bogeyed four of his first six holes. As quickly as it had come, the success was gone.
And really, isn't that the signature line to Duval's career?
Give the guy credit for continuing to swing. Even Friday night he squeezed in two last birdies to salvage some hope. And that, too, is a parallel to his career.
"You just keep playing," Duval said. "This is the U.S. Open. There are going to be some bogeys. You just have to keep working hard and hope that this time you'll get some good results."
For eight years that has been the mantra of Duval. Just keep playing, even though you haven't won since 2001. Just keep playing, even though you haven't had a top-10 finish since 2002.
Has anyone ever been a better example of fleeting success than Duval? Has any athlete ever had so much, then lost it so quickly?
Today, Duval should be a popular man in the clubhouse. Perhaps Tiger Woods should seek him out. After all, Tiger had his own collapse Friday, going from even to 4 over in the final four holes of his day. Perhaps Rocco Mediate should make an appointment. He lost six shots in his nine holes of the second round.
Duval can tell them about a lot of days like that. "I would say I appreciate it more," Duval said, "but I also have a very good idea about what great golf is about and what bad golf is about."
Do not forget what a big deal Duval was. By age 30 he had won 13 tournaments and a British Open. He had been the No. 1 player in the world. He had become rich, and he had become famous.
And in the time it takes to swing a club, it was gone. All of it.
What happened? Injuries happened. Bad habits happened. A loss of confidence happened. Inconsistency happened. It has been eight years since Duval won a tournament. Since 2005 he has played in 84 tournaments, and he has made the cut only 25 times.
That's enough to drive a career out of bounds, but with Duval, it has never seemed like the whole story. Some have questioned his heart. Others have questioned his head. Everyone has questioned his hunger.
Winning hasn't seemed to matter as much to him as it does to others. He hasn't seemed to work at it as hard. He hasn't been consumed by it as much.
The fall was so steep, and so fast, that no answer seems to completely explain it. And so Duval has struggled. With every tournament, he became less and less of a factor.
And yet, he continues. Give him credit for that. It cannot be easy to have been so good at 30 and to struggle so mightily at 37. It is as if Duval has spent his career in reverse. He is, in some ways, the Benjamin Button of golf.
"People complain about tee times," Duval said. "I just want a tee time so I can play."
Oh, there have been flashes that Duval still has dazzling talent. Last year he shot an opening 73 at the British Open, then followed it with 69 and 83. This year at the Memorial, he shot 5-under 31 over his first nine holes and finished the tournament tied for 58th.
In other words, prosperity has never seemed to be Duval's friend. Today, however, he has a tee time. Today, he still has a chance. These days, that seems to be good enough.
News
